PERSONA3L
by Setton
Summary: She was the cause, Minato was the effect. Now Hamuko must deal with the consequences brought by her early arrival to Iwatodai. It is 2007, and her journey begins again with a blank slate.
1. Brand New Days

Persona 3

Setton: This is basically a "what if" story. It is slightly AU, but does follow the game and its events. This story starts off as the second play through of P3P, but Hamuko will not have any memory of her past life. Yes it is a travel back in time kind of story; only it is more of a reversal than actual travel. One of the reasons I made this story a second play through is to avoid following the game too closely.

Summary: She was the cause, Minato was the effect. Now Hamuko must deal with the consequences brought by her early arrival to Iwatodai. It is 2007, and her journey begins again with a blank slate.

* * *

Brand New Days –The Beginning–

"_Only a life lived for others is worth living"._

**4/6/07**

Hamuko stepped wearily onto the monorail, pushing her bike alongside her. It was not crowded today, but there was a fairly moderate amount of passengers within. A few of them looked like students, but none were from Gekkoukan.

Moving around the poles, she put her bike on its breaks and took a seat onto the soft seats. Nervously, she sat there, looking out of the windows without anything better to do. This would be her first trip alone, as her adopted father convinced her to attend one of the top high schools in Iwatodai. She was not transferring, seeing as she recently graduated from her middle school. In any case, she was not looking forward to attending a school with no one she knew.

The monorail gave a jerk before it started moving. Hamuko took notice of this and began to dig into her bag. Pulling out an envelope, she opened it and pulled out its contents. A small snapshot of her apartment and new school, fell into her lap. Unfolding the sheet of paper within her hands, she began to read it, like she has done before.

"_Here is the location of your school and the apartment I have rented for you. I asked my secretary to include pictures, seeing as you are directionally inept. Now, being the daughter of a successful businessman, I asked that you avoid hecklers during your stay in Iwatodai. It is a dog-eat-dog world out there and the first thing I do not want to see is your scandalized face upon the tabloids. It is better them than you. Now be a good spokesperson and stay out of trouble." -Tanaka_

Hamuko gave a small smile at the letter. How predictable of him to act such a way.

Ever since the death of her parents, Hamuko was put into an orphanage at the tender age of seven. Amongst the crowds of other noisy children, she felt lost, unsure of what to think after the accident upon the Moonlight Bridge. It was then Tanaka came to visit the orphanage, only thing was, he was not looking to become a father. He had another idea in mind, which was to cultivate a child into business. He wanted a successor, or someone else who was raised to be like him. It was that reason why she was chosen. The adults at the orphanage remarked about her intelligence and she was picked up before she could get a word in.

Tanaka knew nothing about how to be a father, so she would mostly be babysat by one of his secretaries. It wasn't until he got into the process of teaching business, did he began to change his ways. The change was gradual, but he continued to work in becoming a father figure for her, as she had nothing left, but shelter and money.

Folding the letter away, she gave the photos a look before tucking them back inside the envelope. Putting the envelope away, Hamuko sat back and tilted her head so that she could watch the scenery go by. A few minutes flew by before the monorail pulled into another station. Hamuko watched as the passengers began boarding, while old ones left.

Her seat cushion sank, and she became away of someone sitting to her left. Looking towards them, she noticed it was a teenager about her age, with blue hair. "_His earphones…"_ She took notice of the cool colored circles that were pressed against his ears. As if feeling her stare, the boy looked at her. Hamuko beamed brightly at him before looking away, taking a moment to pull up her own earphones and clipping them onto her ears. By the corner of her peripheral vision, she saw him give a small smile.

During the next stop, a stranger sat to her right. She looked again, surprised when the platinum haired man flashed her a quick smile before turning to his book. At first, Hamuko thought she knew the man, but after examining his dark blue suit and regal eyes she dismissed the thought. Perhaps he was someone she saw during one of her adoptive father's parties.

Two more strangers entered the monorail, both female, and took a seat beside the elegant man.

"Elizabeth, sit down," the older woman reprimanded, her eyes peering at the younger passenger, who was excitedly instigating the contents of the car. The younger woman quickly took a seat, but it did nothing to deter her curiosity.

Hamuko gave the trio a weird look and thought, "_Are they going to a party?"_ It looked like it, seeing as the three were dressed up with such formality. It was almost out of this world. "_They're all very good looking._" Hamuko could not help but frown, staring into her lap as she did so. "_I don't think I can pull off something like that, especially for a party."_ The train gave a jerk and she could feel it moving again, closer to her destination.

Between the warmth of two strangers, she felt her heart ache…for reasons she was not sure why.

* * *

Hamuko felt her shoulder being shaken and she opened her eyes, vision bleary. With a yawn, she rubbed at her eyes and blinked.

"Miss, we're at your stop."

Hamuko caught sight of black slacks, quickly realizing whom it belonged too. "A-ah, gomen!" She hastily picked up her things and stood up, bowing slightly to the platinum haired man. "Thank you!"

His lips curved into a smile and Hamuko could feel her face heating quickly as he spoke, "It is my pleasure."

Nervous, Hamuko excused herself. Taking her bike, she kicked up its stand and rolled it towards the monorail's doors, noticing that the blue haired passenger was lingering by the exit. To her confusion, he stepped onto the station after she exited the monorail. As she moved into the crowd, she looked towards the blue haired boy, who had already walked off without so much as a glance at her.

Back at the monorail, the strange man had disappeared as well and she was brought to a realization. "_How did he know I was supposed to get off here?"_ Her eyes caught sight of the name of the city. Tilting her head, she frowned. "Weird…" Her brows furrowed. Shaking her head, Hamuko focused on leaving the station and finding her new apartment.

Following the directions that her father had given her, she rode on her bike across several blocks before coming to a tall complex. It was not far from Iwatodai's strip mall, which was how she preferred it. The area reminded her a lot of home; cozy and not too busy like the streets near the Paulownia Mall. Entering the complex, she hesitantly walked through the hallways, looking for the elevators. Finding them, she pressed the button that would take her up. The doors hissed before parting, allowing her to get on. After pressing the button for the third floor, she pressed herself against the back of the elevator as it made it's way up.

The elevator slowed to a stop and Hamuko got off. Remembering her room number, Hamuko circled the floor before finding it.

"312…" she said, before digging into her bag. Pulling out a key, she inserted into the lock and turned it before making her way into the room. It was not empty, seeing as her father had called someone to pick up her stuff and drop it off here. He must have asked a maid to organize her things, seeing as the furniture was settled into place and her clothes were all hung in her bedroom closet.

With her bike sitting in the living room, Hamuko placed her bag down near her bed before taking a look at the uniforms in her closet. It was not unpleasing to the eye and she found herself attracted to the design. The red ribbon was also cute, bright red that complimented her eyes.

After a look at her clothes, she closed the door and went to her bag. She emptied it out into her drawers, except for the crucial things such as her I.D., wallet, phone, and keys. When done, she took the bag with her and proceeded to walk out of her room. Seeing as there was still daylight out, she wanted to take a look around the strip mall, her stomach was also growling in hunger.

"_The fridge is probably filled with something."_ She was sure it was, but she wanted some takeout.

Her way towards Iwatodai's station had been uneventful, quiet even, but it changed as soon as she came upon the strip mall. Despite the approach of noon, Hamuko noted the large amount of teenagers that hung around. It was almost packed. With a grimace, she quickly made her way up the spiral staircase, attempting to get away from rowdy crowd below.

"_They're probably here to have fun; this is the last day before school after all,"_ she guessed as she came onto the second floor. To her dismay, there were quite a few people loitering around near the balcony edge. A few of them were gangly dressed guys, who were smoking. Hamuko held onto the straps of her bag a little tighter. Keeping her head held down low, she attempted to walk past them without confrontations.

Unfortunately for her, the guys were hoping for a good time.

Feeling a hand grabbing onto her arm, Hamuko quickly twisted around, bringing her elbow back and digging it into the person's face.

"Argh! Fucking bitch!" he cried, his hands flying up to his face. "She broke my fucking nose!" Hamuko backed away as the others threw a few other curses at her. Wanting to avenge their friend from their assault and to satisfy their frenzy, they approached. One grabbed at her chest, managing to clutch a fistful of her blouse. Another grabbed her bag, yanking it in an attempt to take it away from her.

She glared at them, her fists clenching. "Let go of me!"

The three guys simply laughed as they began pushing and pulling her in a game of tug of war. The bloodied guy from earlier smacked the side of her head, whipping it to the side. Having enough of their games, Hamuko was ready to knock another guy in the face and put him in a sleeper hold.

"What the hell do you fuckers think you're doing?"

The grip on her chest and bag was gone and Hamuko gave a small gasp as she fell onto her rump. Looking up, Hamuko noticed that all three of her perpetrators were being smacked around by a tall stranger, who showed little relent in knocking them unconscious. When none of the guys showed signs of getting up, the stranger gave a scoff before turning his attention to her.

His look softened. "Are you all right?" he asked as he held out a hand. Hamuko blinked at him, but otherwise nodded and clasped his hand with hers. There was no warning and Hamuko gave a small squeak as he effortlessly pulled her whole body up. Once she was standing, he let go of her hand and quickly redirected his eyes. "F-Fix your blouse."

Hamuko immediately looked down, her expression flustered after she caught sight of her own disarray. Her hands went up to her chest and she held her blouse closed, cursing inwardly. Three buttons were missing and she had no doubt in her mind that it was torn off before her fall.

"I don't have any safety pins with me," came her reply. Great, how was she supposed to eat like this?

"Here." The brunette teen shrugged off his coat and threw it over her. She looked at him surprised. "What's with that look…?" he asked. "Do you really think I'll let you walk around like that? That's practically an invitation for other guys like these." He looked towards the unconscious three.

Hamuko smiled brightly. "Thank you! Oh…but don't you need it?" She tilted her head. It was pretty chilly outside and she was not sure if he would be happy if she took it back home with her.

He shrugged. "Keep it, its not like I'll be missing it." He then walked past her.

Blinking, Hamuko watched him leave. "Wait!" shouted Hamuko as she ran after him, her shoes clicking hard against the pavement.

He grunted, "What is it now…?"

"Let me buy you dinner."

His whole body stopped. "…What?" His face was comical.

"Let. Me. Buy. You. Dinner. Okaaaaay?"

"I don't even know you." The brunette narrowed his eyes at her.

Hamuko smiled cheekily. "Shujinko Hamuko," she introduced. "And you…?"

To her amusement, he refused to say anything and started walking again. Only when he realized that she was not going to leave did he give up.

"…Aragaki Shinjiro," he told her, shoulders slumped as he stopped. Hamuko brightened instantly.

"There!" Hamuko clapped her hands together, which was difficult to do when the coat's sleeves fell over them. "We're no longer strangers. Now how about that dinner?" She frowned when her reply was a rude snort. "Oi, oi! Where are you going?" Hamuko asked as his stride quickened.

"I'm paying," Shinjiro said as pushed away the flaps that led to the restaurant, Hagakure. Hamuko stood outside with surprise before she walked in as well. Compared to the cold outside, the restaurant was invitingly warm. It reminded her of the days where she would curl up on the couch during the winters, drinking hot chocolate or taking a nap.

It also left her feeling a little homesick.

"Idiot, what are you doing standing there?"

"O-oh…" Hamuko blushed before she hastily took a seat near the tall brunette. "Sorry, déjà vu."

"No kidding." Shinjiro snorted before looking over the counter. "What do you want?"

"…" Her eyes flickered around, searching for anything that remotely looked like a menu. When she found none, she scratched her head sheepishly and answered, "I don't know. I've never been here before." Well, maybe she had during her childhood, but her memories were foggy.

Shinjiro said nothing and rather chose to address the man behind the counter. "Oi!" he called the owner. "I'll have two of the Specials."

"Coming right up."

"Eat everything; I don't want to end up wasting money just because of your small stomach," Shinjiro said as he began rifling through his pockets, frowning when he could not find what he wanted. Turning to Hamuko, he asked, "Hey, check my coat's pockets."

Hamuko did so, digging her hands into the side pockets. When her left hand bumped into smooth leather, she hastily pulled it out, squeaking when she accidentally dropped a card onto the ground. "Gomen!" She handed him his wallet before getting off her stool to pick up the card. When she flipped it over, she was surprised to find the familiar face of Aragaki Shinjiro, staring back at her. "You go to Gekkoukan…"

"Yeah, what about it?" he asked as he took the card from her.

She took a moment to dig into her handbag before pulling out her own wallet. Taking out her school I.D., she showed it to him. "I'm starting my freshman year there."

That was bad.

"Do me a favor. At school, don't talk to me."

Hamuko blinked before her expression morph into hurt. "What, why?"

"It's for your own safety, you'll see later." He coughed, too embarrassed to even elaborate. "Another thing, avoid the boxing club and its members; they're nothing but trouble. Stay away from that Mochizuki kid too."

"Who…?" She looked completely confused. Her face fell when Shinjiro drop the subject altogether, despite her persistent questioning. As she sat there quietly waiting for their food to be prepared, she could not help but mull over the Shinjiro's warnings. Why would he tell her to avoid the boxing club? Were they a rambunctious group of delinquents that love to cause trouble? It may be likely, but she doubted something like that would happen in such a prestigious high school. And who was this Mochizuki fellow? Was he dangerous? Why was Shinjiro even telling her to avoid interacting with him?

Shaking her head, she decided to quell her curiosity. Leaning over the counter, she picked up a pair of wooden chopsticks from a stand. When their food was ready and placed in front of them, Hamuko sat back and held the sticks up, breaking them neatly. "Itadakimasu!" she said before eating. The dish was delicious, as expected. Instant ramen was nothing compared to Hagakure's.

Unfortunately, the Special was quite a large bowl and despite her love for food, Hamuko was starting to feel the effects of overeating. Half an hour later, she could feel her stomach stretching, unused to the large amount of food she was consuming. Her consumption slowed down, yet she did not stop, as Hamuko could see Shinjiro watching by the corner of her eyes.

"What…?" she asked.

"Eat all of the vegetables," he told her before turning back to his ramen.

She made a face and turned to look at the leftover leaves that dotted the bowl. With a sigh, she picked at all of them and ate them.

When she finished the bowl, Shinjiro was long done and was watching the nearby T.V. during his wait. Hamuko let out a groan and held her protesting stomach. "Gochisosama."

The look on Shinjiro's face showed his amusement. "You need to eat more. Just what do you eat every day, salads?"

She glared at him. "Salads are for weaklings!" She blew a raspberry.

"Keep that up and I'll stuff your mouth with broccoli."

Hamuko quickly retracted her tongue and pouted. "But I like broccoli," she retorted.

He merely rolled his eyes. "You ready to go?" Shinjiro asked as he placed some money on the counter. Hamuko blinked, but otherwise nodded and stood up from her stool. As they made their way outside, Shinjiro looked over his shoulder.

"Are you going to be okay on your own? Or do you expect me to escort you home?" he asked.

Hamuko looked confused but then gave him a sly look. "Are you actually offering?"

"W-what…? O-of course not!"

Hamuko laughed. "Well come on then!" She skipped ahead of him, twirling around to face Shinjiro. "You're my escort, aren't you? I'm expecting you to take me home."

"Idiot! Don't just allow anyone to follow you home! I ain't a nice guy."

"No one is," she retorted, with the same damn smile on her face. Then, coming to a conclusion, she requested. "Walk me half way back."

He was silent for a moment, before a sigh left him. "Pushy." He walked towards her. Hamuko only grinned before falling into step with him.

* * *

When she was a kid, she hated midnight because she believed it was the time that the monsters came out to play.

She did not seem to lose that notion, even now.

Her room had taken a sickly glow, green, as if someone had placed a filter over her window plane. Her mp3 player that once lured to her sleep, stopped, and she woke up to the dead night. There was no sound other than her breathing and even the dogs were still.

Of course they were. Everyone but her had turned into coffins after all.

"Good morning."

Hamuko let out a yelp as she scrambled backwards, forgetting the space between her bed and the wall, and fell off the mattress with a thump. There was laughter and Hamuko grimaced as she pulled herself up, rubbing her head as she did so.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to startle you."

"Then stop appearing in my bed," Hamuko commented as she quickly crawled back under her covers, shivering at the cold. Her ruby eyes looked straight into big blue ones. "Are you here to warn me again?"

The boy frowned. "Do you not like it?"

"While it shows that you care, it sorts of defeats the purpose when I have no idea what you're actually talking about." She rolled her eyes.

"I see." He then smiled. "Did you have fun today?"

"A little bit." She fiddled with her bangs, twirling her brown locks around her finger. "I fell asleep on the train." The image of Shinjiro came up in her mind. "But I did make a friend today, well, sort of. We only met a while ago. He fought some guys who were bothering me and took me out to dinner." At the sound of that, the boy frowned. "Oh yeah, apparently he's a student at Gekkoukan too."

"Well I'm happy you came home safe, or else I would have been worried," he said.

"You're always worried."

He grinned. "Perhaps. But I have a good reason to be worried, don't I?"

"Yes you do, seeing that we're friends." She laughed and he nodded, shifting onto his side a bit. Her eyes noticed something red beneath the covers. "Are you holding something?"

He blinked before realizing what she was looking at. "Oh, this?" He held up what seemed to be a notebook, a very thin one at that. "A man gave this to me; he said that it was for you to sign."

"…Who is this from?"

"I don't know, but you should sign it." He inspected the book. "There doesn't seem to be anything dangerous about it; besides, you'll need his help."

She looked skeptical. "Help? Help with what?"

He showed confusion. "I…I don't know. I just have this feeling."

"Here, let me take a look at it." Hamuko reached for it and the boy happily gave it to her. Turning the cover, she recited the words on the front, "I chooseth this fate of mine own free will." As she turned the pages, she noted that the rest of them were empty. In fact, the entire notebook was empty except for that first sentence. "Basically…it's a contract that says I'm responsible for my own actions."

Her bedmate nodded. "No one else can or shall take the blame for something you have done."

Hamuko's eyes were solemn. "So if I made a mistake and someone died because of my decision, I'll be the one to suffer the consequences." She trailed her fingers against the contract's edges. "_But what are the consequences?"_ The contract was simple to understand, but there seemed to be a lot more to it than just taking responsibility.

"Will you sign it?"

She looked at the boy, who seemed eager to know her answer. With a sigh, she nodded. "All right, I'll sign it." There did not seem to be anything fishy about the contract, or hazardous, at least not from what she could see. Her choice was greatly rewarded with a smile from the boy. "Pharos, could you please get me a pen?"

"Of course!"

He shuffled out from under the covers and walked cross the cold floors. Pulling open Hamuko's drawers, he picked up a standard blue pen and walked back with it. Crawling back onto the mattress, he handed it to her. Smiling, he sat there, watching as she legibly signed her name on the first page. When she was done, she closed the notebook and handed it back to Pharos, who took it and held it close to his chest.

"I wonder." Hamuko sat up, her eyes on the contract. "That man must have been something if he was able to interact with you."

"I think it's because we're connected in a way." His face scrunched up, as if he was trying to solve a puzzle that did not have an answer. "I'm not sure how, but I know it'll become clearer as time moves on."

"Maaaaybe," she yawned.

Pharos smiled. "You should sleep; school will start in a few hours."

"Great idea," she remarked, before leaning over to kiss him on the forehead. "Good night Pharos." She then proceeded to curl up under the covers, shutting her eyes as she let the warmth of the blankets lure her to sleep.

"Good night…my dearest."

* * *

"_You're crying,"_ she stated the obvious. Sitting down, Hamuko allowed her legs to press against the grass and bend the flower stems. Tilting her head, she regarded the musician before her. The voice -that caused many to swoon- stopped, but the man continued to play his lyre. _"Why are you crying?"_

"_I have lost something of importance," _he mourned. "_She was my beloved and my wife."_

"_Is she dead?"_

"_I am afraid so, for her desperate calls still rings in my ears." _The musician drummed his fingers across the strings. "_I cherished her, but my ignorance of the unknown left me powerless. She was taken away and we were separated. Our feelings have not waned, we wish to return to one another, but there is an obstacle in our way."_

Hamuko watched as he looked up, staring out at something in the distance. Curious, she followed his gaze and noticed a woman from beyond, gazing back at the man.

Getting up, Hamuko walked across the meadow and took a seat in front of the woman.

"_Why don't you go to him?"_ she asked the woman.

The wife let out a shuddering breath. "_I cannot, for death's tight grasps keep me away!"_ she cried. _Gladly, I would have given anything to keep him safe, happy, and protected. Yet we cannot help the terrible sadness that comes between us. We wish not to be apart, but to stay together despite knowing that we could not. He knows nothing about the unknown; therefore, he is powerless to help me."_

"_Can't you find a way? Your husband doesn't have the answer, but what about you?"_

"_I…I will try."_ There was a change of expression on the woman's face, but Hamuko could still see the lingering doubt.

There was a thunderous cry and Hamuko felt her heart jump. She snapped her head back, looking towards the sky. A large black figure circled above, its white mask looking down at the three with hollow eyes. Large wings, like that of a bird, flapped harshly, blowing gusts of wind as it propelled forward. Following after it were its children.

There was no escaping its sight.

Night, Nyx, was always watching.

But Hamuko was not afraid.

"_Wait!"_ she called, hastily clambering to her feet.

She ran across the meadow, tearing grass from its roots as she kicked up during her chase. With her eyes intent on following, Hamuko saw another figure approach, flying by Nyx and blanketing the air with its body, and turning whatever sky it crossed black. Clouds and even the sun could not penetrate the floating shadows and Hamuko had almost lost Nyx through the spreading clots of ink.

Again, Hamuko shouted, _"Please wait! Help! I need some help!"_

There was another sharp cry from Nyx as someone, one of the children from the entourage, burst through Erebus' shadows and soared down in Hamuko's direction.

Death, Thanatos, landed in front of her and took a breath. Hamuko had stopped running and glanced at Nyx, finding the beautiful figure circling above them in agitation and attempting to call back her child.

Thanatos did not move and Hamuko figured that he would hear her plea.

"_Will you help me?"_ she asked before looking in the direction of Eurydice and Orpheus. "_I want to help them, I want…"_ For reasons unknown, Hamuko started crying. "_I want them to stay together, but I can't because of your mother."_ It had to be Nyx's work, for she had control over her children. Thanatos favored a gentle passing, but the woe felt between Eurydice and Orpheus was anything but gentle.

Hamuko pleaded,_ "Will you help me?"_

There was silence, before Thanatos moved, bringing his arm up and holding out his hand to her.

Hamuko took it, and Death became hers.

* * *

Setton: Review please; I love to read the insightful and whimsical comments of the reviewers.


	2. So It Begins

Setton: What are the pairings? Well it is basically like the game, so there will be a lot of pairings, seeing as it is Hamuko-centric. Minato will be paired up as well. I may also write another story on Minato's perspective, but that is a big maybe. I will think about it after I complete this.

**karu-14**: Thank you for being the first to review, I really enjoyed your comment. When I first started this story, I was planning to go AU and make it where no Shadows existed at all. Sort of like that A la carte story. Then after a while, this idea of New Game Plus+ grew on me; however, I did not want it to be exactly like the game, word for word. Judging by your comment, I am glad to see that my writing has improved. Usually I jumble around, so it is a relief that my efforts in editing and writing have paid off.

Finally, after hours of typing and correcting, I am done with this chapter. There might still be some mistakes, but I will go over them later.

* * *

So It Begins

**4/7/07**

When Hamuko came to, she found herself staring at the ceiling, completely dazed. Realizing that she had just woken up, Hamuko let out a groan and rubbed at her eyes. She peaked out from behind her fists to see the glow of red numbers of her alarm clock. Perfect, she had woken up early, just thirty minutes before the alarm rang.

With a languid cat-like stretch, Hamuko let out a deep breath of relief as the tenseness left her body. The fuzziness of her late night dreams were disappearing and as much as she wanted to recall it, it only continued to slip from her grasp until it was gone altogether.

Getting off the bed, she stumbled over to her closet, pulling it open so she could pick out her uniform. As she got dressed in front of her mirror, Hamuko's eyes trailed towards a familiar coat that was on her hangers. Her thoughts went towards the auburn haired student, who she met last night. Contrary to his words, he was nice, well, at least in Hamuko's mind he was. She thought of him more as a big softie.

"_He's too harsh on himself." _She sighed, looking back at her mirror as she tied her bow. Once she was done, she took a moment to inspect herself. Okay, so she was a little self-conscious about her looks, but she had a good reason for it. The first day of school was always the hardest to get through and she could not afford to be laughed at today.

When she was done, Hamuko picked up her school bag and made sure she had her essentials with her. Walking over to her closet once more, she took out the Shinjiro's coat and neatly folded it so that she was capable of holding it in one hand. Using her free hand, she tossed her old clothes into the laundry basket before walking out into the living room.

Her bike was where she left it last night. After making sure she had the lock for it, she placed the coat and her bag into the basket before proceeding to roll the bicycle out of her apartment room. The hallways were empty, as always, but that did not matter to her. She headed towards the elevator, pressing the button and noting how quickly she was able to get on afterward. It did not seem like many of the apartment's residents got up so early to use the machine.

Reaching the ground floor, Hamuko came out of the building and got on her bicycle. With a push, she headed towards Iwatodai's train station.

Okay, so apparently she had a bit of a problem.

Upon coming into the strip mall, she slowed down and gave a stop. There were students, lots of them, and Hamuko could see that most had decided to stand by the tracks and wait for the monorail to show up. They were not the only ones; there were all kinds of people waiting by the tracks: businessmen, mothers, elders, and children.

Hamuko frowned, figuring that there would be no way for her to ride the monorail with so many passengers on board. Riding her bike across the Moonlight Bridge was a definite no; it was too far and busy.

"_Then I'll just have to wait."_ The thought of getting breakfast sounded great, so she proceeded to look around the strip mall for a place to eat. Before she moved, a head of blue hair caught her attention. The blue haired boy gave her no notice as most of his attention went towards the books he was carrying. At first, she did not believe it was the same boy she saw on the monorail yesterday, but as he turned to enter a shop, she caught sight of his dangling earphones.

"Ohayo!" Her greeting was loud and had nearly sent him stumbling in surprise. "Whoops…" She winced as a few books fell from the pile he held. Quickly, she moved her bike over and set it on its stand. Bending down, she picked up the fallen literature and stood up. "Wow, I didn't think I was going to see you so soon. Small neighborhood, huh?" she joked as he inspected her.

"…Do I know you?" he asked.

Hamuko could not help but gap. "W-What…? You don't remember? I'm that girl who sat next to you yesterday in the monorail." She looked at him nervously; did she get the wrong guy? Maybe he had a twin brother that she did not know about.

When he continued to stare at her, she quickly held up her red earphones that were slung around her neck. It was as if a light bulb went off and he regarded her with recognition.

"Oh." He confirmed.

…Was that it?

Hamuko attempted a conversation and spoke, "So you go to Gekkoukan too…" It was more of a statement seeing that he was indeed wearing the uniform. "Are you a junior?"

"Freshman."

"Really?" Her eyes brightened upon hearing the fact. "Me too! Cool, I hope we get the same class together. It's kind of hard making friends when you don't know anyone."

He gave her a nod, either to show that he agreed or was listening.

It was a bit frustrating to say the least; she did not know what he was thinking at all. "By the way, I'm Shujinko Hamuko."

"Arisato Minato," replied the boy.

"Here let me help you." Hamuko reached over to pull some books off his pile. Gently, she set them down near her as she took a moment to lock her bike. When she was done, she held the door of Bookworms open for Minato to walk in. After he placed his pile near the doorway, he came back to pick up the ones Hamuko placed on the ground.

"Do you work here?" She was curious.

"No," Minato told her. "Store belongs to my grandparents."

"Neat." She grinned as she picked up Shinjiro's coat and her bag. Holding the door open once again, she followed Minato inside.

"Minato-chan, is that you?"

"Hai."

At the back of the shop, Hamuko could see a dusty old counter. Beyond the counter was an old man, who hobbled towards them. His wife was at the back, taking inventory of the books.

"Ah…" the old man rasped as he caught sight of Hamuko. "A student, you must be from Gekkoukan High. Tell me, have you seen the persimmon tree there?"

"Um…" she spoke her confusion. "No."

Minato stood and turned to face his guardian. "We're just starting school today, Bunkichi-chan."

"Hmm? I thought that was yesterday."

"No dear, its today," voiced the old woman, who came over and gave Hamuko an apologetic look. Bunkichi's wife was tiny and fragile. There was no help from a cane and her hands shook every so often as she addressed Hamuko. "Please pardon his rambling. My husband tends to forget things."

"Now, now, I was just joking. I haven't lost my mind yet." Bunkichi chuckled before looking at Hamuko. "That persimmon tree I had spoken of is very important to the two of us. I was simply wondering how it was doing."

Ah, so the tree was an important symbol of sort for the two. Hamuko could understand that, despite not knowing the past behind it. Minato might know about it, seeing as Bunkichi and Mitsuko were his grandparents. Well, at least that was what she deduced.

"If that's the case, then Minato-kun and I will check on it for you!" She felt proud when she caught sight of the smiles on the two elderly couple. Minato, in the meanwhile, was staring at Hamuko with an odd look.

Mitsuko, the wife, spoke, "Would you dear?"

Hamuko's hair bounced when she nodded. "Of course!"

"What a relief." Bunkichi laughed before his attention was brought to the noise outside his shop. "Ah, don't let us keep you two any longer. Punctuality is a virtue, even if it is the first day of school."

"Hai," Minato spoke as he went to pick up his backpack.

Hamuko had said her goodbyes to the old couple before leaving the store. As she got outside to unlock her bike, she frowned at the sight of the crowd outside. There were still too many people waiting to board the monorail.

The door opened behind her and Hamuko looked back at Minato. His eyes turn to look at her bike. "Are you bringing that to school?" he asked.

"I want to."

"Don't, there's too many people. Just lock it up over there." He pointed to the rows of bicycles that were chained down on the other side of the street. "The school isn't too far from the station."

Oh. She totally did not know that. Now she just felt like an idiot. "Thanks, Minato-kun."

His lips twitched upwards. "You can call me Minato, you know," he replied, waiting for her to bring her bike along. After placing her things in the basket, she brought her bike over to him and cocked her head.

"You sure? After all, we just barely met." She did not want to be rude to him.

Minato shrugged. "I lived in America for a few years and got used to the first name basis. I don't mind it at all," he explained while walking the girl over to the crosswalk. The two stood there, as the streetlight glowed red and cars passed by.

"If that's the case, then call me Hamuko." She grinned. "People might find it weird if you don't address me the same way."

"Already noted," came his monotonous reply.

The light turned green and the two walked to the other side, alongside some chatty students. Upon reaching the crowd of bikes nearby, Hamuko found a nearby pole to chain it too. Fortunately, hers stuck out due to its pink and white coloring. That would make it easier for her to spot it after coming back from school. She had also made sure to take her bag and Shinjiro's coat with her. The last thing she wanted to do was to leave it here for someone to take.

Once they entered the station, the two grabbed their passes and went to stand by the tracks. Hamuko leaned out to see if a monorail was approaching, noticing a silver object coming closer, but she did not get much of a good look before Minato pulled her back by the collar. He had every right too. There were so many people waiting for the train that anyone could have pushed Hamuko onto the tracks, accidental or not.

Seemingly unconcerned, Hamuko stuck a tongue in Minato's direction, to which he ignored.

The monorail arrived with a screech before hissing to a stop. There was lots of shoving as passengers attempted to board and leave the cars. By the time Hamuko and Minato got it, they were left to stand due to the unavailability of seats. Hamuko was okay with it, seeing as the monorail was more stable to stand in than a bus. One thing she did not like however was the lack of space. She was surrounded on all sides. Behind her were a group of chatting girls. To the right was some businessman. On her left was Minato, who's side she was crushing. To her embarrassment, a male student was sitting in front of her. Fortunately he was too busy texting to even give her notice.

Their ride gave a jerk before moving. Along the way, Minato had already gotten sick of the noise and placed on his earphones, blasting the music up till Hamuko could make out the lyrics. She was tempted to do the same, but her curiosity got better of her when she heard some shrill shrieking. Using the handle above her for leverage, Hamuko stood up on her toes and peered over the shoulders of passengers. She could see a groupie of Gekkoukan students, huddled together at the other end of the car, all female. She was not sure who was in the tight knit circle, but she did catch sight of silver hair and the top of a brunette male.

"Hmm…" She gave a huff, dropping back down to her feet. Using her free hand, she placed on her earphones and mimicked Minato by blasting up the music.

Time passed and neither of them noticed until they came upon the sight of a school.

"_That's Gekkoukan?"_ She had not expected it to be large.

The monorail bell rang, signaling to everyone that the train was approaching its next stop. The area around them grew darker as it entered the tunnels and slowed down with a screech. With a small jerk, the train stopped and the car doors opened with a hiss.

Being near the door, Hamuko was one of the few who got out first. She turned around and frowned when Minato was unable to follow. Many of the other passengers were getting off, cutting in front of the stoic student and preventing him from joining her. When he had the chance, Minato fell in line and exited the train. She had almost missed him in the crowd, but apparently he had enough sense to walk up to her rather than have her find him.

As they walked out of the station, the noise died down incredibly and the two made sure to lower the volume of their mp3. With the amount of students walking to Gekkoukan, Minato and Hamuko had decided to follow the majority of the crowd. For the most part, the herd stayed together, seeing as class was starting soon.

By the time they arrived to Gekkoukan, Hamuko was marveling at the size of it.

A thought came to her as she and Minato walked past the school gates. "Where's the permission tree?" She looked at Minato expectantly.

"It should be near the gym."

"How do you know that, I thought this was your first time here?" she questioned.

"I looked it up online."

Great, just one thing she forgot to do. "Just how much money does this school have?" From the looks of it, she would have mistaken Gekkoukan for a college campus. "I don't remember there being a school here either…"

"It's new," he explained. "There used to be some sort of building here, but the Kirijo Company tore it down and built a school over it. That was eight years ago."

"Oh…" Memories of her parents came into mind. "_Gekkoukan must have been built after their deaths."_ She also remembered moving away that year, just after her adoption. And to think, the Kirijo Company built this. "_They have a lot of influence in Iwatodai, now that I think about it."_ In a way, that could be a bad thing.

As the two came towards Gekkoukan's doors, Hamuko nervously clutched the coat in her hands.

"_**Hamuko**__."_

"Huh…?" She abruptly stopped and her head whipped around. No one was looking in her direction, indicating that no one had in fact called out her name. Hamuko frowned, her eyebrows drawn down in confusion.

"Something wrong?"

Hamuko looked at Minato, who held the door opened. "Ah…" She looked unsure. "Did you call my name earlier?"

Minato blinked. "No."

"O-Oh…I could have sworn someone had called my name."

"Maybe it's your earphones."

One of her hands reached up and clasped the red piece. She came to realize that her mp3 player was still playing. "_It was probably one of my songs…"_ She quickly shut it down and took off her earphones. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and listened again.

There was no one calling her name.

Her eyes opened and she gave Minato a sheepish smile. "My mistake!" she told him, laughing her concerns away. He only nodded and walked into the school.

She went in after him, momentarily looking back out the glass doors.

* * *

Hamuko was sad.

No wait, she was DEVASTATED.

Not only did she not get the same homeroom as Minato, but she also got one of the most asshole-ish teachers in Gekkoukan's faculty. Put those two aspects along with her rumbling hunger and lack of friends, yeah, she was bummed out beyond belief. Being in a freshmen class, many of the students were hesitant in approaching others, as well as her. To say the least, most interactions had gravitated towards one student by the name of Takeba Yukari. The brunette girl seemed to radiate an air of charm that set others at ease.

Of course, Hamuko was known for her popularity as well, but that was during middle school. High school, especially Gekkoukan, delivered a different sort of playing field. The teachers were mean and the students were meaner. Everywhere Hamuko looked, there was also a type of posse, or stereotypical group of students who hung around each other for a single interest. Heck, there was even a group filled with sassy (basically bitchy) girls, whose goal is to ruin the lives of other poor heartened females.

Just what the hell was this! She sort of expected a more homely atmosphere, something like middle school but at a different level. Instead, she found herself attending a zoo filled with ferocious animals.

Okay, she was exaggerating just a little bit, but it still did not change the facts.

When lunchtime came around, Hamuko was happy to leave the classroom and forget all about the principal's boring speech from earlier. Finding Minato was not on her list of first things to do, seeing as her hunger came before that. Fortunately, Kirijo, being a well-funded company and family, had provided a fair amount of healthy meals for students throughout their school years at Gekkoukan. That was a good thing, as some students did not have the money or time to purchase or bring their own lunches.

So Hamuko ran to the cafeteria and got in line. The wait was long, seeing as students tended to hold a "spot" for their friends to stand in. As much as it annoyed Hamuko, she said nothing, seeing as she did it all the time for her friends. It looked like she was going to have to beat the system if she wanted to get lunch more quickly.

After stuffing Shinjiro's coat into her bag and then acquiring her lunch, Hamuko looked around for Minato. It should not be that hard to find a head of blue hair among a sea of brunettes. Unfortunately, he did not seem to be seated anywhere within the room. She then turned her attention back to the line, looking through it before she spotted Minato near the end, dully listening to a student wearing a hat.

She approached and Minato perked up. "Sucks, we're not in the same homeroom," Hamuko commented as she took a bite out of her curry bread.

"Hey, well what do we have here?" came a sly voice.

Hamuko blinked and looked at the second occupant. "Are youh ah friend of Minatoe?" Her words were slightly muffled as she nibbled on the loaf.

The cap-wearing student grinned. "Hehe, you're both on a first name basis? Are you two a couple or something?"

"Friend."

"That works for me then!" he chimed. "I'm Iori Junpei, a recent freshman here and Minato's classmate." Junpei proceeded to nudge Minato in the side. In response, Minato moved up in the lunch line, practically ignoring Junpei in favor of staring at the food ahead.

"Sheesh!" Junpei sighed. "Talking to him is like talking to a wall. Is he always like this?" He looked at Hamuko, who stood by them.

"Don't worry; I think he's just hungry," she told him, laughing as she did so. "Anyway, it's nice to meet you Iori-kun. I'm Shujinko Hamuko."

"What's with the formality Hamu-tan?" Junpei seemed slightly disturbed by it. "Junpei is just fine. It's not like I'm much older than you or anything." He started chuckling. "Your last name's weird too, no offense."

Hamuko smiled. "I got it from my dad. He told me that he changed his name when he was younger because he wanted to sound like some cool character from a story or video-game."

"I like your dad!" Junpei guffawed. "It sounds like we could be best buds."

Hamuko's eyes glazed. "I think so too…" she said distantly. Fortunately, Junpei did not seem to hear her above the roar of the cafeteria.

"So, who did you get for homeroom?"

She blinked at Junpei's question. "Um, Ekoda-sensei."

Junpei gave a low sympathetic whistle. "Maaaaan, that suuuucks! I mean, I don't know the guy, but I heard that he's a prick."

"You have no idea." Hamuko groaned. "He threatened to take away my earphones even though I wasn't wearing them or touching them."

"At least you got away with it," Junpei told her as he reached up to play with his cap. "If it was me, he'll probably throw my hat out the window."

"Well, you shouldn't be wearing it in the middle of class anyway."

"Gimme a break!" he said exasperatedly. "What's so wrong about wearing a hat anyway?"

She asked, "Ever heard of 'symbolism'?"

He stared at her. "What? What does that have to do with my hat?"

"Wearing a hat in a classroom symbolizes a lot of things," Hamuko explained, before looking down at her chest, where her red earphones laid. "For instance, these earphones I have. If I had them on in class, teachers would find it rude and disrespectful. They believe that I show no interest in their lessons and that I am trying to ignore them completely."

She pointed to Junpei's hat. "If you wore a hat, that signifies delinquency. It gives you the image of being improper, a clear sign of a troublemaker. In other cases, most teachers find that a hat in a classroom is useless and shouldn't be needed, which in most cases is true. Hats can also symbolize gang relations."

"You serious?" Junpei asked as his eyes widened. "But I'm not even in a gang!"

"I know." Hamuko grinned. "It's just an assumption on another's part. Don't think all teachers are at fault though. There have been cases where students have been shot due to the hat they were wearing, despite not being affiliated with a gang."

"…Do you always take the fun out of everything?" Junpei looked pale. "Now I'm afraid to walk out of the school with this thing on."

She laughed at him.

"Oh c'mon! It's not funny! Don't joke around about something like this!"

To his dismay, Hamuko continued laughing, even after the two boys got their lunches.

* * *

The rest of the day went surprisingly well, considering her mood before lunch. Finding Junpei and Minato was easy, seeing as they had taken the initiative to stand outside within the halls as she took her sweet time to pack and leave.

With the rest of their classes filing out, the three shuffled closer to the walls.

"That looks like Yukari, huh, I didn't know she went here," Junpei spoke out loud as he watched the said girl leave with a classmate.

"You know her?" Hamuko looked at him.

"Know her? I practically had to take the same classes with her during middle school!" Junpei groaned. "Well, Yuka-tan ain't all that bad, for looks I guess. We're sort of like brother and sister you know? Always nagging and getting on each other's nerves."

"So you two are close?"

"I dunno." Junpei shrugged. "We never really 'hung out'. While I'm into videogames and grabbing a bite to eat, she's either studying or working with clubs. And if you know me, studying is not my kind of thing. Which reminds me…" He threw an arm around Minato's shoulder. "How about you two join me for some action at Game Panic? The place is pretty sweet!"

"Persimmon tree," Minato reminded, not that Junpei would understand.

"Oh that's right!" Hamuko exclaimed before looking at Junpei. "I would love to come Junpei, but Minato and I have to check the persimmon tree here first."

"Huh…the tree?" He looked confused. "What for?"

"I sorta promised Minato's grandparents that I would check on it." She grinned sheepishly as Minato shot her an accusing look.

"Well if that's the case." Junpei released Minato. "Let ol' reliable Junpei give you the grand tour!" He beamed proudly. "I scoped this place out earlier, so I know exactly where it is!"

Hamuko gave a laugh. "All right, lead the way Leader!" she said in excitement, causing the cap-wearing freshmen's ego to swell.

"Right! Aaaaaand we're off!"

Hamuko and Minato watched in amusement as Junpei lead the way towards the stairwell. Deciding to humor him, the two stuck close behind him while he strutted through the hallway like he owned it. Many students had given Junpei odd looks, but otherwise parted as he confidently made his way through the crowd. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Junpei began his journey through the club hallways.

"These are…?" Hamuko gave pause as the three passed by a sign-in sheet, stuck upon each following door.

"Club rooms," Minato answered for her, seeing as Junpei was too busy leading them. "It's not mandatory to be in one, but it is highly recommended."

"Oh…" She blinked before looking at him curiously. "Are you going to join any of the clubs?"

"Kendo and music."

"_That seems so like him…"_ Hamuko could not help but grin. "Interesting. Well, I'll probably join the cooking club and tennis. Art sounds fun too, but I don't know if I have time for that." Turning to look at Junpei's back, she asked, "Do you think he's going to join a club too?"

Minato took one look at Junpei before replying, "Nah."

* * *

"Rebel 1…ACTION!"

If it were not for her sitting near the two boys, Hamuko would not have heard the game start. Game Panic was crowded, packed filled with video-game obsessed teens.

Obviously, the majority of the population in the center was male.

From what Hamuko could tell, Minato was not much of a gamer, seeing as he lost to Junpei during the first few runs at the arcade. She later was stand corrected by the time Junpei had hit his fifteenth dollar amount, as Minato had a complete turnabout and was defeating Junpei at every game.

"Stop throwing frogs at me!" Hamuko could hear Junpei shout, which brought a laugh from her and an amused smile from Minato.

"Astral FINISH!" the game cried as Minato activated his character's special, knocking the opponent unconscious.

There was an audible groan from Junpei before the second round started. This time, Junpei proceeded to button mash the whole way, intent on killing Minato at least once before he would quit paying for the day.

A few minutes later…

"NOOOOOOO!" Junpei was on his knees, his face held disbelief. "How did you-I was just kicking your butt a few minutes ago!"

Minato gave a shrug as he peered at the screen, which flashed his victory. "Practice."

"You're impossible." Junpei frowned in dismay, proceeding to take a quick look at his wallet. "Well, seems like I'm done for today. Spent half of my allowance and I'll be needing the rest of it for dinner."

Hamuko stood up quickly. "In that case, let me try out one game!" she asked, grinning at the questionable faces of her peers. She loved videogames, just not the ones Game Panic had to offer.

There was one game here though that she did enjoy.

"You got to be kidding me," Junpei replied when she led them to it.

"What?" she asked haughtily, hands on her hips. "You got something to say about Dance Dance Revolution?"

"No, its just…never mind." He sighed. "Go ahead, its not like I'm trying it."

"That's because you can't dance."

"So what? Its not like I need the lessons to save my life!"

She huffed, replying to him, "Fine, fine." Turning around, she went over to the platform. "Just watch the master!" After she placed in enough quarters for a game, she began shifting through the menus. There was a loud chime before a second player entered. Surprised, Hamuko looked to her right to see Minato standing there with a nonchalant look on his face.

In the back, Junpei was gawking at them.

No one was more shocked than Hamuko. "I…uh, you choose," she told Minato.

Minato leaned over and started shifting through the songs. After finding the one he liked, he stood back and asked, "Is this good?"

The difficulty he had chosen, surprised her. "_Marathon mode?"_ Minato was no beginner.

She agreed, "Yeah." Nodding slowly, trying to process the fact that a person, as stoic as Minato, was a master at DDR.

With a press of the start button, the game began and the players took their places.

Quickly, the song "Bad Apple!" began and disappearing arrows followed. In response, Hamuko started with her right foot, Minato quickly mirrored her. Next was left, then, a pattern of arrows came and the two entered a dance. Mines entered the equation, but it was easily avoided. The song was nearing the lyrics and the disappearing arrows stopped flashing, instead, they began wavering.

The two soon entered the beginning of the verse and the guide arrows erratically changed positions; to the bottom, middle, back to the top, and soon separated themselves that it would have been difficult for a beginner to keep up.

"_Nagareteku toki no naka de demo kedarusa ga hora guruguru mawatte."_

The wavering arrows began spinning around, shooting out in different directions to confuse them. Hamuko was not deterred and her breath picked up as the images began tilting, her legs moving faster and her heart thumping. She took short gasps and kept her concentration on the screen, her mind and eyes moving every second, attempting to register each image and allow her to follow it up through actions.

Her blood was pumping and she could hear every beat of her heart through her ears. The steps got louder as with every arrow her foot slammed into the platform. The song blared loudly through the speakers, setting her body ablaze as she moved with the beat, using it to time her steps. Through her peripheral vision, she caught sight of movement and of the other players in the area. Then amongst the song, the sound of cheering was heard as the two players continued their dance.

A laugh bubbled in Hamuko's throat as she and Minato began jumping around the pads. Getting into the beat, Hamuko began to move her body with the song, her bangs flipping every which way she threw her head. Sweat was beginning to form on her body as she was not only affected by the lighting, but the workout the marathon gave.

About three minutes later, the song came to a close and Hamuko breathed deeply as the feeling of accomplishment fell over her. While she may have lost to Minato by a few hundred points, she congratulated herself for keeping up. It seemed most of the audience felt the same way, as they cheered loudly for the show.

Turning to look at a shocked Junpei, she laughed. "How did I do?"

* * *

After the event at Game Panic, the group wisely decided to head home.

The three had arrived at Iwatodai's strip mall a little later as it was growing dark, and Junpei decided to leave the group, seeing as he was expected at home by a certain time.

Once he was gone, Hamuko made sure to pick up her locked bike that was still left near the station. Minato waited for her and after she had acquired her mode of transportation, they went to pay Bookworms a visit. Surprisingly the old couple was still there and expressed their joy when Hamuko gave them the leaf she picked from the tree. Pleasantries and names were exchanged, seeing as neither party introduced themselves earlier, and Hamuko left the store later with a can of Cielo Mist, courtesy of Bunkichi.

When Hamuko got home, she parked her bike near the door and placed her unopened can of soda on the living room table before dumping her bag near the couch. Giving a sigh, she flopped onto the sofa and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to relish the day she had. Her head turned and she gave her bag a long stare. She had completely forgotten about returning the coat to its owner. While she felt a bit irritated in forgetting, she figured that there was nothing she could do in returning the coat today. She did not even see any signs of the tall brunette from last night and figured that he may have been busy, considering that it was the first day of school.

Closing her eyes, Hamuko decided to take a light nap before taking a bath.

Unfortunately for her, the next time she woke up, she found herself staring at a green ceiling and the eerie glow from the moon outside filtered through the blinds.

There was the sound of sipping and her head turned to look over the table. On the other side of it sat Pharos, who had his knees pulled up on the parallel couch and was drinking her Cielo Mist.

Her eyes narrowed. "That's mine."

"I know," he told her, smiling. "I was curious, is this what 'soda' tastes like? It's overly sweet."

Hamuko turned her body so that her back hit the cushions and she was facing in his direction. "They have different kinds of flavors, that's just one of them, lemon-lime. Of course since its soda, there is a lot of sugar. It's another way of attracting buyers."

"Buyers like you?" Pharos cocked his head. "You love sweet things, don't you?"

"Yup! I have a sweet tooth like no other!"

He frowned. "But it's not healthy, consuming such vast amounts."

"In one sitting I guess, but it hasn't killed me yet." Hamuko grinned before noticing that he was without the book. "Where's the contract? Did you give it back to that weird guy yet?"

Pharos' head bobbed. "He seemed…elated and told me that he would see you soon."

Hamuko gave a small gag. "That doesn't sound good. What is he, a stalker? How does even know where I live?"

"Maybe he's like me."

"That's even creepier."

Pharos laughed. "Perhaps. How was your day today?"

She blinked at him, realizing that it was the same question he would ask her every time he visited. "It has its ups and downs," she told him. "I made a new friend today; he helps his grandparents with a bookstore. He told me his name is Arisato Minato."

Pharos' interest on the cola was soon redirected and his head snapped up, his eyes giving her his full attention.

"He's a quiet guy, a little lonely, but nice. He goes to Gekkoukan too, but we don't have the same class. I also met his classmate, Iori Junpei, who likes to be the center of attention from what I could see. All three of us went to Game Panic today, the guys are really good when it comes to playing video-games and Minato actually defeated me in Dance Dance Revolution."

Pharos blinked. "Dance…Dance…Revolution?"

"Oh." She grinned. "That's right, you don't know what it is. Dance Dance Revolution is a dancing game where it prompts you how to move. I would show you sometime, but you know…" Her face fell. "You only appear during Green Midnight."

"That may be true…" he mused before his lips crawled into smile. "But if you would like it, I'll find a way to join you in daylight. Then we can be together at all times."

"Really?" she asked. At his nod, she chirped, "I would like that."

* * *

**4/8/07**

The next morning, Hamuko left early in her efforts to avoid the monorail's crowd problem. Minato would not be able to join her this time, seeing as she did not know when he would arrive or wake up. She had also checked the bookstore earlier to see if the old couple were awake, but was saddened when the door remained lock.

"Ugh, I knew I should have asked for their phone numbers!" she berated herself, earning some odd looks from other waiting passengers. Most of those odd looks she received were from girls, more specifically, Gekkoukan students. Hamuko could hear their whispers and she ignored them in favoring of clutching Shinjiro's coat around herself. She was wearing it of course, considering that the sun had disappeared and the morning chills of spring was here. The coat offered her more protection from the wind than her turtlenecks did and it would be easier for her to return the coat, should she ever see the owner.

The monorail arrived and Hamuko hustled into the transport, frowning when she noted that all the seats were taken once again. There were still a quite a lot of passengers boarding, but nowhere near the large capacity from yesterday. So once again, she stood by the car's entrance and held onto the handle above.

"Hey."

Hamuko was not wearing her earphones and heard the call clearly. Turning her head to the left, she found herself looking into silver eyes, the color greatly matching the boy's hair.

She spoke, "Yes…?" Taking a moment to stare at him, trying to figure out if she knew the guy. From what she could see, he was a Gekkoukan student as well.

She took notice of his eyes, which looked back and forth between her and the coat she was wearing. Opening his mouth, he was about to speak, but stopped when the words were lost upon him. Frustrated, he shook his head. "Never mind," he told her. His frustration only grew as some girls approached their location and started speaking to him.

Hamuko gave a grimace as the girls began creating a circle around the boy, pushing her away and almost caused her to trip. She sent the girls a glare, before turning to look out the window where the scenery passed by. It was slow at first, but the monorail soon picked up speed.

But a little way through the trip, Hamuko noticed something strange.

"Is it just me or do you think we're going a little bit too fast?" a passenger asked his friend.

So it was not just her who noticed.

There was a rumble and Hamuko let out a surprise gasp as the monorail shook. The girls near her gave a scream as they were nearly sent to the floor by the sudden jump. There was the screeching of steel and Hamuko could have sworn she heard the grinding of sparks. As she looked at the window, her eyes widen slowly as images sped past her eyes. Then she saw the next stop and the passengers outside staring at the train in mixed confusion, surprise, and horror.

"Shit!" There was a curse and Hamuko turned to look at the silver haired student near her. He quickly took out a cell phone and dialed a number. Holding the phone to his ears, he tapped his foot anxiously. When the call came through, he was practically yelling on the phone. "Mitsuru, we have a problem. It's _them_! …What? No I didn't see-look, I don't have time for this! I'm on the monorail to Port Island and its speed had doubled just a few minutes after leaving the station."

There was a pause.

"An estimate…?" He gave a curse and scratched his head, looking out the window as he did so. "It's about every five kilometers. We had already gone past the next station." There was a long pause from him and Hamuko could feel dread pulling at her chest when his eyes widened and he had nearly dropped the phone. "…We have five minutes?"

That information was enough to get Hamuko moving. "_What the hell are they doing up there?"_ Hamuko thought as she pushed past the girls, surprising the silver haired student as she shoved through the crowd.

"Hey, wait!" he called out. She could hear him running after her.

"_Why isn't anyone doing anything?"_ she asked herself as she felt her body slam into the car door, which was also connected with the previous cars. Opening it roughly, she ran in, once again shoving past panicking passengers. "_Doesn't this thing have emergency brakes?"_ Her heart thumped quickly as she found herself caught within the crowd.

One minute down.

She nearly fell when she pushed the passengers to the side, but an arm caught her by the waist. When she turned to look, she noticed it was the same boy from before. Helping her up, Hamuko did not wait to thank him and quickly ran off once again, earning a curse from the silver haired teen.

The crowding in the next three cars was just as bad and Hamuko freaked out, wondering if she would get to the front in time. Her thoughts ran as she tried to figure out what she was going to do the moment she entered the first car. Maybe the driver was unconscious? Was this some sort of terrorist attack? All she knew was that she had to reach the front before the monorail reached Port Island's station. Everything stopped there; there was no extension out of Port Island. If things continued the way they were going now, then the train would not only crash into the station, but also kill everyone inside and outside the monorail.

Three minutes left.

There was a breath of relief when she found the first car's door unlocked. Entering it, she shut the door behind her and ran up to the seats. "Hey!" she yelled at the driver. To her horror, she found that the driver was indeed unconscious, and she shook his shoulders roughly. "Wake up! We're going to crash if you don't!" Irritably, the driver stayed asleep and Hamuko gave a quick look to the front window, panicking when she noticed the island coming closer.

Even after she had slapped the man a few times, he gave no reaction and Hamuko took it upon herself to stop the train.

Well, sort of…

She bit her lip as her eyes roved over the levers and switches. The emergency brakes, they were always levers, right? Her hands reached out, hovering over the controls as she tried to figure everything out.

She heard shuffling behind her and Hamuko whipped around, screaming when the driver –who was unconscious earlier- lunged for her throat. She instinctively kicked him in the abdomen, but gasp as he grabbed her leg and pulled back, causing her to fall and slam her head into the edge of the panel. Hamuko groaned, her vision failing a few times as she tried to keep consciousness. Hands snaked around her throat and she let out a choked gasp, her eyes widened as she regarded the man who was trying to strangle her.

"_W-What's wrong with him?"_ She fruitlessly attempted to pull the arm away, with no success. Hamuko gave a rasp and the pressure on her throat grew heavier. Despite her vision failing again, she kept her eyes on the driver.

She could not look away, not from those eyes.

They were pure black, so deep that she almost thought she was staring into the man's eyes sockets. He was literally foaming at the mouth as well, and she was starting to think that there was more to it than simple delirium.

Just when she thought she was going to pass out, the hands on her throat disappeared and the man was knocked away from her. Her esophagus expanded and Hamuko gave a deep gasp, swallowing as much air as she could before erupting into a coughing frenzy. Sitting up quickly, she gave no mind to her fallen bag and looked across the car, noticing the silver haired student holding the struggling driver down.

The teen looked at her and barked, "Get the phone!"

Hamuko blinked before realizing that the teen was directing the command at her. Looking for the cell phone, she noticed that it was on the ground and she scrambled over to pick it up. Seeing that his hands were full, Hamuko held phone up to her ears.

"_Akihiko! Akihiko, are you there?"_

"He's holding the driver down." Hamuko answered.

"_Who is this? …Never mind, quickly, I want you to pull the emergency brake. It should be the only lever that is lying down on the panel."_

"Okay." Hamuko got up quickly and turned around, scanning the panel for anything that remotely looked like a lever. There were a few, but they were sticking up. After finding the one that the person on the phone had informed her of, Hamuko reached over and grabbed it. With a grunt, she gave a hard pull, yanking the switch up and had almost smashed her face into the console when the monorail gave a hard jerk. There was a harsh shriek as the brakes were employed and the shrilling sound of metal grated her ears, almost deafening.

Looking up, Hamuko's heart jumped when she realized that the train had pulled into the station and was on the verge of colliding with the wall at the end. She dropped to the floor quickly and curled into a ball, holding her arms over her head as she predicted a terrible crash. There was the sound of crunching metal, and she could feel her body being thrown into the bottom of the console.

She could hear her heart pounding through her ears and she let out a whimper. "_I'm dead." _She could not hear anything anymore.

"Hey."

Her eyes snapped open and her body let out a shudder. Shakily, she looked up to see a gloved hand, following the arm up; she saw that it belonged to the silver haired teen. The man he held down was unconscious nearby, unmoving and dead to the world.

"Can you stand?" Akihiko asked as she took his hand. Just as he helped her off the ground, she had almost fallen back down. "Guess not." He sighed as caught her by the waist and helped her up again. Delicately, he took the phone away from her tight grasps and held it to his ear. "Mitsuru? Yeah, I'm fine." He sent Hamuko a look as her entire form shook. "We're fine."

A pause.

"She's shaking a lot and the driver almost strangled her." As if he was ordered to inspect the damage, Hamuko could feel him taking a look at her neck. "It's a bit red, but looks okay. …The front of the monorail caved in."

Hamuko's head snapped around and she could Akihiko's arms tightening around her waist, readying himself to catch her if the shock was too much.

The front of the train was a mess. Glass windows were bent, cracked in multiple places and looked ready to shatter. The train's nose was pushed inward, flattened by the wall and had bent the console inwards, almost to the point of collapsing and sparking. If the monorail had went any further, the console may as well have fallen over Hamuko and crushed her.

Picking up Hamuko's fallen bag, he urged her. "C'mon." Akihiko gently pulled, indicating that he wanted her to move out of the car. She did so, gripping his arm so that she could hold herself as they walked.

Akihiko gave one last look at the driver. With the phone to his ear, he informed, "Mitsuru, I'll meet you at the Chagall Café in the Paulownia Mall." After receiving confirmation, he ended the call.

* * *

"Here, this should help with the shaking." Akihiko pushed a cup of steaming coffee across the table. "Careful, it's hot."

Hamuko wrapped her hands gently around the mug, grateful to feel the warmth calming her nerves. "Thank you," she said to him, smiling slightly before falling into silence once more. When she said nothing else, Akihiko absentmindedly rubbed the back of his neck.

"Look, I know the last thing you'd want to talk about is what happened back there, but I would like to hear your side of things," he admitted.

She looked at him with confusion. "Are you a cop?"

Akihiko looked taken aback. "W-What? O-Oh, no I'm not."

"Then why…?"

"It's because Officer Kurosawa believes that others who are closer to your age group can get answers that adults can't." A beautiful redhead walked into view, striding towards their table. Her maroon eyes turned to Akihiko and nodded. "I apologize; I came as soon as I could."

Akihiko waved it off. "It's fine." He took a moment to move over so the sophomore could have a seat.

Mitsuru thanked him and once she sat, she turned to Hamuko. "I'm Kirijo Mitsuru, heir to the Kirijo Company, who of course, built Gekkoukan High School. My companion here," She motioned to Akihiko, "is Sanada Akihiko. A sophomore like I am."

"Shujinko Hamuko," Hamuko replied back.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," spoke redhead, who gave a quick smile before turning serious. "Now I'm sure you're wondering why Akihiko and I are here. Kurosawa-san has in fact requested the both of us to question those who were apart of these…strange events."

Hamuko's head bowed. "You mean what happened on the monorail."

"Yes." Mitsuru nodded. "Kurosawa-san believes that the events are related to The Lost."

"O-Oh!" Hamuko looked up in realization. She remembered about The Lost, having seen it on the news once. While the matter wasn't big, it was soon growing into a problem as people were strangely losing coherency. Many believed it was some new disease, or perhaps damage to the brain, but scientists and doctors confirmed that there was nothing of the sort.

Tilting her head, Hamuko asked, "So you want to know what happened with the driver because you think he was showing signs?"

"Yes. Akihiko has already told me about everything before that." Mitsuru leaned back, arms crossed.

"Well I don't know much…" Hamuko shuddered, her hands momentarily reaching for her neck and gently stroking it. The action caused Mitsuru to notice the coat Hamuko was wearing, but said nothing about it. "I was inside the car trying to wake the driver up, but he wouldn't despite how much I yelled and slapped him. When I couldn't wake him up, I tried to find the emergency brake myself, but then… The driver woke up and tried to strangle me." Her face scrunched in confusion. "His eyes…they were pure black, I almost thought I was looking into his head. He was foaming out the mouth too. Then Sanada-sempai came to help me."

"I see." Mitsuru paused, her eyes narrowed in thought. "Thank you for telling us, I'll be sure to report this information to Kurosawa-san." She then moved out from under the table, standing up to leave. Akihiko followed after his classmate, Hamuko believed it was because he felt that he was no longer needed.

Turning to Hamuko, Mitsuru informed, "Its best if you return home and get some rest."

The brunette girl blinked. "I can't, class is starting soon!"

"It's all right." The red head smiled. "I have already informed the principal about the accident. You, along with the others, will not be required to attend class today."

Hamuko was right, the company really did have a lot of power over the school.

With a frown, Hamuko nodded like a good little girl. "Okay then."

"I'll look forward to seeing you again."

The two sophomores left, leaving Hamuko to watch their backs before they were lost within the crowd. When they were gone, she looked at the cup of coffee before her, finding the steam that came off it was slowly cooling.

"_Why…?"_ she asked herself, leaning back into the chair. "_Why does it seem like they were lying to me?"_

_

* * *

_

Setton: If I was on that monorail, I would have totally done the same thing Hamuko did, only difference is that I would die because I do not have Mitsuru Gear backing me up.

About the DDR thing, it was just a random thought. Funny story is, during a class trip, my friend and I actually spent thirty dollars playing DDR till our legs were sore. I think we were on that machine for about three hours, nonstop dancing. My friend stopped playing a little later while I continued. Lol, I was sore for four days afterwards.

I picked the last name Shujinko for Hamuko because Minato has already taken "Arisato" and I did not want confusion, or have to change it where the two MCs were twins.

Apparently I was named after a Dungeons and Dragons character. I have yet to find the book that contains my origin, lol. On another note, woot to twenty pages of writing! I am now satisfied.


	3. Her Morning Elegance

Setton: Sorry about the wait, there were a few things I had to do before I finished this chapter. Two days after my last update, I had about half done, but there was some trouble in trying to finish the last half due to my brain running dry. I also recently acquired Shadow Hearts 3 somewhere on the third day, the same day when my mom laid down the law about me having to stop playing videogames once Monday rolled around.

So yeah, I did not beat the game, but my brain has been turned to mush after I put so much time into it. Now that it is Monday, I will be working on this mainly. Of course correcting can take a few hours, since I have to go over twenty pages a few times and look for errors. Mom also knows I write fan fiction, so there is a possibility she might ban me off that too. Despite her efforts to get me studying (on vacation at the moment), she cannot get me off the computer. I suppose it is a good thing.

There might be some minor mistakes; I will be sure to check it out later.

**Memiroa**: Thanks for the review. From the sounds of it, I must have really improved my writing, which is a great feeling. It is nice to hear it from someone else.

**Frost XZ**: Seeing that Minato and Hamuko are not twins in this story, or related in any other way, it is possible for them to either stay friends or become more. Since this is Persona 3, I assume the latter, since he would be considered as a Social Link if there were an option on the female's route. Junpei could be considered a romance option, as evident to the ending he had in P3P before it was edited to make it more JunpeixChidori canon, but I am not sure if I will make him an available romance option. Junpei has always been a great bro.

* * *

Her Morning Elegance

**4/8/07**

Despite what Mitsuru suggested, Hamuko found herself going to school that day.

She opened the door to her classroom and paused when everyone in the room went quiet. Literally every one of her classmates was staring at her, each pair of eyes telling their own thoughts. Some students wanted to know what happened, others eventually looked away from her, not wanting to touch on such a sensitive topic that merely happened moments ago. The rest cast her worried or understanding glances, the latter being only a few.

Mr. Ekoda gave a cough and spoke, "You are, Shujinko-san, correct?" Of course he would remember her, seeing that she was the only one who had been reprimanded for her earphones on the first day of school. She was still wearing it now, but was not using it, seeing as she left it sitting on her chest.

Hamuko frowned at her teacher, but otherwise nodded. "Hai."

"You may go take your seat."

She followed his suggestion and sat at the front. Even after her teacher continued on with the lesson, she could still feel the roaming eyes of her classmates. There was more action now, and she could hear the muted whispers of her classmates around her.

"_The whole school probably knows about the accident now,"_ Hamuko thought. That would make sense, seeing as half of her classmates were gone. Those who were on the train would either file into school later on after questioning, or head home like Mitsuru had suggested to her. By the reaction of everyone in her classroom, they had gotten the news about the accident, whether from the principal's expected announcement or from a friend. If that was the case, some must have at least texted their friends about the option of staying home.

As she sat there, she wondered if Minato and Junpei were one of the few who got those texts. She did not have their phone numbers, so it was difficult for her to tell if they were coming or not. What if they were on the monorail she was in? It was possible that they were either attending school or heading home right now.

She at least hoped one of them was here.

With a disheartened sigh, Hamuko slumped in her seat, listening as her teacher droned on.

Today, he scolded no one.

* * *

After class, none of the students approached her. Hamuko did not mind it, figuring that she could not handle a conversation after what nearly happened to her.

As students filed out for lunch, Hamuko leaned against the wall outside of Minato's class. She at least wanted to catch one of her friends today.

"Misery loves company" after all.

To her utter relief, Minato walked out of the classroom, but Junpei was nowhere to be seen.

Loudly, she called, "Minato!" She waved her hands, tiptoeing so he could see her behind the crowd. She got some looks of course, mainly from passing females.

He looked surprised to see her, then hastily pushed his way through the throng of students to come over.

"Hamuko?" He stood in front of her now, etched on his face was confusion and a bit of worry.

It was like a dam had broken. She should have felt elated to see him, but her heart clenched and her lungs stopped. "M-Minato…" It was supposed to be a greeting, but her voice cracked and she could feel her eyes watering. It felt like there was a hole in her chest, and the face of Minato caused her to realize just how close she was to losing her life. The thought of never seeing her adoptive father, Minato, Junpei, Shinjiro, and the old couple, had struck a cord in her. Even if she was not close to most of the people she met, it was the thought of never seeing them again -or anyone else for that matter- that terrified her.

Hamuko began to sob, but as students turned to look, Minato had taken her by the hand and pulled her after him. The two broke into a run, the destination unknown to her. She wanted some place quiet, a place where she would not be stared at and questioned by others. Minato seemed to know this, for he continued running, tugging at her hand and guiding her carefully past the crowds. They did not slow down, not even when the staff members yelled at them for rushing around so recklessly.

Tears rolled down Hamuko's face in waves, too many for her to wipe away. Even after she dried her eyes with the sleeve of Shinjiro's coat, new tears had already replaced the old.

She bumped into someone, catching his or her shoulder with her own. The force caused her body to turn, and her watery eyes caught sight of Shinjiro. He looked surprised to see her, but his expression soon morphed into confusion and full-blown concern at the sight of her red face. He could not get a word in. There was no time for speech before Hamuko was pulled away, and she could only run after Minato while occasionally looking over her shoulder.

Very much like what happened earlier with Akihiko, Shinjiro was now the one pursuing her.

She could see his mouth moving, but could not hear anything due to the clamor of students that filed through the hallways. There were simply too many students, many were returning to their classrooms with their friends while others crowded in the main halls to purchase some items from the bread counter.

After occasionally looking back, she lost sight of Shinjiro, but it did not matter to her because she did not desire a conversation with him, not when she was in this condition. So she looked away and picked up her running, keeping her eyes locked onto Minato's back as they ran around a corner and into another hallway.

The two later pushed through wide doors and slowed down as they came upon Gekkoukan's courtyard.

There were a few students here, but Minato managed to acquire an empty bench near the persimmon tree. He led her there and had her sit down. She followed his advice and pulled her legs up onto the bench, bringing her knees up so she could hug them. The coat offered her enough coverage, so she did not need to worry about her skirt.

"Where is your mp3?" Minato asked her. It was a strange question, but she was in no mood to question him.

She attempted to speak, but was interrupted by her own sharp breathing and uncontrollable pauses. "P-Po-Pock-ke-kets." Hamuko closed her eyes tightly, wiping at them as they continued to sting her eyes and bring on more tears. She could feel Minato rifling through the coat's pockets before he pulled out her mp3 player. He set the player in her lap a few seconds later before he clipped her earphones onto her ears.

"_I never felt like, so miserable~"_

Hamuko had almost laughed at the irony as the song filled her ears. There was a squeeze of her hand before Minato spoke loudly enough for her to hear.

"I'll be right back." he told her, and she opened her eyes slightly to see him run off.

Sniffing, Hamuko put her head down, covering her face with her arms so that no one could get a good look at her.

About a few minutes later, there was a tap on her head. Looking up, her lungs took a few sharp breaths in repetition before calming down. Minato held out a can of soda in his hand, offering it to her along with what seemed to be a cutlet sandwich.

Hamuko took it, placing the wrapped sandwich into her lap while she shakily popped open the soda.

"Thanks…" It was a low murmur, but he heard her and gave a nod. Taking a seat, he placed down the bag that held his portion. There was a snap and the bubbling sizzle of soda, indicating that he had also got himself something to drink. Then, surprisingly, he reached for her free hand and interlaced their fingers together, bringing it over so that their hands were sitting between them. The sudden gesture almost caused her rip her hand away, but figured that Minato was only comforting her. It was the closest she was going to get to an actual hug from him, she supposed.

Squeezing her hand, he spoke, "I heard what happened." She could see him by the corner of her eyes, staring down at the ground as he took a drink. "Everyone was either telling or asking their friends about it. I didn't think you were coming to school."

"…" Hamuko took a deep breath. "I wanted to see you and Junpei." A thought came to her. "Did you come to school earlier?" She meant before the crash.

"No," Minato answered. "I came late. Had to take the bus because the monorail was not available. No one told me that I didn't need to come to school until I got to class. Junpei's not here either, so either he got the message or he's coming late too."

"Oh…"

"Hamuko." Blue eyes turned to look at her. "You were on that train, weren't you?"

She nodded in confirmation. "I was scared," she admitted, her voice almost to a high squeak as she could feel the tears coming again. "I thought that I wo-uld n-never s-s-s-see anyone-on a-g-g-gain!" Her tongue could taste salt now. Despite her normally cheery disposition, she cried, she cried like a baby and blabbered about her deepest fears on that train ride to hell.

Students were looking over now. While Hamuko paid them no mind and continued blubbering, Minato had taken the initiative to stare everyone down. He stayed silent, allowing her to cry out her frustrations as her heart soaked up the upbeat songs that were playing on her mp3. About five minutes later, she stopped talking and sat there quietly, sipping at her soda until she got her breathing controlled.

Once she felt stable enough to talk, she made a sound of dissatisfaction and wiped her face against the coat sleeves again.

"I hate crying, it makes my eyes hurt." It was a comment to help break the ice, to subtly tell him that she was okay.

Minato gave a small chuckle and Hamuko pouted, her puffy red eyes narrowing as she attempted to shove him off the bench, but it was quite difficult seeing as he had a hold of her hand. There was not much effort to her actions, seeing as she was more worried about spilling her drink than actually having Minato eat dirt.

"Shut up, it's not funny. Crying really does hurt!" Even when she tried to be serious, she could not stop herself from laughing in the end. "Hey, Minato?"

"Yeah?" He looked at her.

"Thanks."

"What are friends for?"

She smiled at him, the thought of living in Iwatodai did not seem so awful anymore.

The two sat there, eating their lunches, while making light talk about their favorite artists or songs. Music was something they both had in common. For Hamuko, she liked music because it sets her in a mood and urged her every action. Minato liked music for a different reason, he liked it because it wrote and told memories. He liked music because he could relate to many of them. She did not question him, chose not to go deeper into why he saw it the way he did. As friends, there was no requirement to know everything about each other. She would learn everything with time.

There was a bell, sounding the end of lunch, and Hamuko figured the two should leave.

As they entered the halls, Hamuko was the first to see Shinjiro leaning against the wall. He looked like he was waiting for her. Cocking her head to the side, she spoke, "Shinjiro-sempai?"

He stared at her for a moment before he approached her, handing her a bag, which she took and looked into. To her surprise, it contained some bread, sandwiches, and soda. She looked up, just in time to get patted on the head before Shinjiro left without a word.

"W-Wait!" she called. When he paused, she continued. "Your coat!"

"Keep it." He shrugged her off before walking off, noticing that students were starting to notice the exchange.

When he was gone, Hamuko noted the acute stares she was getting from the female population.

Then, she laughed.

Minato looked at her weirdly. "What?"

She had a bright smile, and she turned to him. "What is it with guys giving me food when I'm upset?"

* * *

"I'm telling you, this is total bullshit! I can't believe I actually came to school when I could have been home playing Odin Cube!"

Junpei's complaints can be heard all across the halls.

Hamuko grinned as she waited for the students to leave. When Minato and Junpei came out and was all in the clear, Hamuko proceeded to tackle the cap-wearing student.

"Ah! Hey, hey!" Junpei exclaimed when he nearly fell backwards, his face taking a reddish tint at the close proximity of his female friend. "I know I'm good looking and all, but we just met yesterday ya know. Ow!" Hamuko punched his shoulder for that comment. "You punch like a girl! Ow, dammit, stop that!"

She moved back, frowning at him. "Are you saying I'm not one?" she asked.

"I'm just joshing you Hamu-tan." Junpei grinned cheekily before his face turned inquisitive. "By the way, what's up with that greeting? You were hugging me like today is the end of the world."

The mood immediately turned somber and Hamuko was no longer smiling.

Junpei's expression fell. "What? Did I say something wrong?"

Minato gave a sigh. "Hamuko was on that monorail this morning."

"No shit? You're kidding right?" Junpei turned to his classmate for confirmation. Minato only stared at him. "I take it back! I take back everything I said." Junpei laughed, awkwardly scratching the back of his head as he proceeded to look away from Hamuko.

Hamuko smiled weakly. "Don't worry; I'll be fine…I think." The feeling of loss felt like a distant memory, and she believed that she was slowly becoming desensitized. "No harm done."

"You sure?" Her friend raised an eyebrow. "I mean, if it was me on that monorail, I would still be freaking out and crying like a baby."

"Oh I already had my share of freaking out and crying like a baby. You weren't there though."

"Ah jeez, sorry about that. I woke up late and had to take the bus, which isn't fun when you're crammed in with forty or so other people. Man, it's only the second day of school and already everything is going downhill."

"Why are we still talking about this?" Minato piped up, causing the two to look at him.

Hamuko cocked her head at him, noticing how defensive he seemed as they continue to dance around the topic about what nearly happened to her. While he showed no reaction, she noticed that he was staring at them with a long look, almost as if daring them to continue the conversation about the monorail. Was he doing this for her sake? Who knows what he was thinking about most of the time…

Junpei seemed to notice Minato's snippy attitude and called his friend on it. "What's up with you man? We were just talking about how I got here."

"Bus, right? Can we go now?" The blue haired freshman began to look impatient.

"What's up your butt? …Not that I want to know, of course," Junpei asked as he raised a brow in Minato's direction.

"Betsuni," Minato told them before he started walking off. Hamuko and Junpei sent him queer looks before deciding to drop the subject and followed him. Everyone seemed to forget Minato's little episode later on as they began planning what they should do for the day. While it was late and the sun was beginning to set, the group still had two hours before sundown. Hamuko had wanted to check out the candy shop at Iwatodai's strip mall, but was saddened when Junpei pointed out the buses would be packed by now.

That's how they all came to Paulownia Mall.

Game Panic seemed to call towards Junpei, but Hamuko deterred him from going, figuring she could at least help her friend save some money for something else.

The first store they went into was the Power Records. Minato had shown much interest checking out the store and Hamuko was quick to follow him. Junpei, on the other hand, was not much of a fan of the typical Japanese pop music like they were. Hamuko took noticed that he seemed more attracted to English, or American pop culture, preferably anything that could kill ones eardrums or sound remotely "cool".

The three later left the store, satisfied, despite Minato being the only one to buy anything.

Next was Chagall Café.

This time, Hamuko had proceeded to buy something for herself, a simple cup of hot chocolate and warm chocolate filled croissant.

"Hey look, they're hiring." Junpei pointed out, noticing a large sign that was stapled to the wall post near them. Minato came over, giving the paper a look while Hamuko was finishing her purchase over the counter.

"Oooh, is it still available?" Hamuko asked as she hopped over to them, tiptoeing to look over Minato's shoulder. Junpei moved over for her to get a closer look.

"Looks like it." Junpei grinned. "What, planning to get hired? If you do, I wouldn't mind coming in everyday to see you in a maid outfit." He then proceeded to leer at some passing waitresses, earning him an elbow to the side by his pouty brunette friend.

"Pervert." She accused.

Junpei held his hands up and spoke, "What did ya expect? I'm a guy!"

"I take offense," Minato spoke up from behind Hamuko.

"We all know you aren't normal, so you don't count," Junpei told Minato before shrugging. "Besides, if Hamu-tan works here, business will be booming! All the dudes from school will definitely come here just to watch this babe work."

"…Maybe I should pick Power Records instead." Hamuko had a weary look on her face.

"Aww, c'mon, I was just joking."

"If you keep doing that, I'll never take you seriously." She pouted, pointing at him irritably. "You'll be like that boy who cried 'wolf'. You know what happened to him in the end?"

"No."

"He was eaten." She grinned toothily before skipping past Junpei.

Behind her, she could hear Junpei speak. "Ugh, I swear. Where the hell does she come up with this stuff? I'm starting to think we have a cheeky prodigy on our hands."

A smile fell across her face as she waited by the fountain for the guys to come closer. Taking a look at the scenery, she proceeded to think about their next destination. Her eyes wandered towards some stairs that led to Mandragora. Karaoke sounded enticing, but she did not believe that they had time for it. Her mouth turned into a frown as her eyes fell back down again, and she noticed the dark blue hallway below the karaoke place.

"Hey guys, what's up with that hallway?" she asked, pointing in its direction.

Both Minato and Junpei stared at it after reaching her.

"Looks like a back alley," Minato answered. She was not sure if he was merely stating the obvious for his own self-amusement.

"…Or maybe it's one of those places where people go to take a hit." Junpei added, earning a skeptical look from his female friend. "Hey, it's probably true! What else are you going to use that alley for? …Hamu-tan? W-Wait, get back here!" he called out as Hamuko left the two to take a closer look at the back alley. When she showed no signs of returning to them, the boys had no other option but to follow her to the entrance.

There was a nervous laugh from Junpei. "Well what do you know, its empty? Can we leave now?" He was practically begging. "I really don't want to be here when security comes around."

"But I see a door there." Hamuko pointed out, staring at a blue door at the far back.

"What door? Maybe today's been too hard on you Hamu-tan, 'cause I don't see nothing."

She pouted before turning to Minato. "What about you Minato, can you see the door? Its right there, down the hall!"

Minato gave the hall one good look before answering. "No."

"What…?" She looked at him in disbelief, believing for a second that he was lying to her. "But it's right there! Are you two blind!" Hamuko quieted when Minato patted her head, sending bubbling feelings of irritation flowing through her.

"I know for sure that I can't see the door," he told her.

She looked at him in surprise when he pulled back his hand. "_He didn't say that there wasn't a door; just that he can't see it."_ A feeling of guilt wrapped around her heart, realizing that she was getting mad at her friends for something she may have been hallucinating. Maybe Junpei was right; maybe she was just tired today. "Sorry. Junpei's probably right about me feeling tired."

"No hard feelings Hamu-tan." Junpei grinned. "Now how about we head home, the buses should be okay by now."

With all in agreement, the three left Paulownia Mall, ready to put the day behind them.

* * *

For a moment, she almost believed that she was drowning.

As she grew more coherent, she was relieved at the fact that she was not underwater. Her heart felt heavy and the sound of an elevator told her that she was ascending. She felt a draft and as Hamuko paid closer attention to her surroundings, the more she came to the conclusion that she was in a room…a velvet room.

Hamuko shifted uneasily in her chair, which took the shape of a lyre. Her eyes turned towards the only occupant within the area.

"Welcome, to the Velvet Room my dear young lady," The long nosed man spoke, his lips curled up into a wide grin. The man was rather short, but his limbs took on an unearthly appearance of thinness and length. His oddity reminded her of Pharos, whom she had known for a long time but could not remember how she first met him.

"My name is Igor," introduced the man. "It has been a while since I've had a guest."

Hamuko bit her lip. "Were you…?" She hesitated. "Were you the one who gave me the contract to sign?"

Igor nodded. "Why of course. I am delighted to see that you have accepted your responsibilities once more. It seems you have chosen to go on a greater journey, despite achieving life's answer. Such is the characteristics of the Fool." He looked pleased.

"_Once more…?" _What did he mean by "once more"? He made it sound like she signed a similar contract a long time ago. As she thought about it, the more she drew a blank. Shaking her head, Hamuko decided to change the topic rather than fruitlessly try to bring back a memory.

"…Where am I?"

Igor answered, "We are between dreams and reality, mind and matter." He drummed his fingers together. "Should I simplify it, the answer would be Liminality."

Hamuko's eyes trailed over to his side, where a podium stood; on it was a thick leather book. It stood out as something important, but she did not know what it was.

Igor followed her eyes and stared at the book. "Ah yes. I was not the only resident in this room. There were others, but now they have taken the initiative to wander your world for answers to their own questions. Should you meet them, they shall be a great help to you." He gave a small frown. "While I do enjoy your company, it seems I do not have the time to answer all of your questions."

With a snap of his fingers, Hamuko winced as a blue light sparked before her. As the light dimmed, she took notice of a blue key that gently fell onto her lap.

"That, my dear guest, is the Velvet Key," Igor explained. "So as long as you have possession of it, the Velvet Room will always be at your disposal."

"But how do I get here…" Hamuko paused when a thought came to her.

"_What about you Minato, can you see the door? Its right there, down the hall!"_

It clicked.

At her look of realization, Igor grinned in amusement. "Your questions shall be answered in time, dear guest." He gave her a slight bow from his seat. "'Til we meet again…"

The images of blue blurred into black, and Hamuko was unaware that she was falling asleep once more.

* * *

**4/9/07**

In the morning, Hamuko was in luck with meeting Minato and Junpei at the bus stop. The monorail to school was still being cleared, so students were now forced to find another mode of transportation. In any case, the bus was the first option for mainly everyone, and Hamuko had given up on bringing her bicycle with her anymore, seeing as the bus' hitch was always packed.

Amongst the sound of students chattering and the zooming of cars, Hamuko turned to look at Junpei. It was morning and she could feel the biting frost of the cold in the dark, but from the looks of Junpei, he did not seem affected. "What's got you so hyper in the morning?" She pegged him to be a late sleeper, so seeing him here was surprising.

Minato looked interested as well, turning to peer at Junpei underneath sleepy lids.

Junpei grinned. "Heheh, sorry, I can't tell you guys, its top secret!"

"It must be something good if you are here so early in the morning." Hamuko sniffed, frowning when she could feel her nose growing cold. She was wearing her uniform as always, but had to put on her orange sweater and cover herself up with Shinjiro's coat. It helped keep her warm, but it did not save her hands, feet, and head from the cold. She could not understand how Junpei seemed to look okay standing there with just his uniform and jacket on. She was suffering, just like Minato, who looked ready to hit the dirt, considering his sleepy look and constant swaying.

"Hey, we forgot to exchange cell phone numbers," Hamuko told them out of the blue, seeing as no one was ready to start a conversation.

"Shit, you're right." Junpei quickly dug into his pockets and pulled out his cell phone. Hamuko took out hers as well, and Minato followed after the two a little more slowly. Like a merry-go-round, the three passed the phones around after inputting their contact number. When they were done, they got back their respective phones just in time for a bus to pull up. Hamuko hustled into the bus quickly, paying before calling three empty seats to the side so that her friends could sit there. After Minato and Junpei paid for the fare, Junpei took a seat to her right while Minato got the left.

It took a few minutes before the bus finally left the stop.

As the bus was crossing the Moonlight Bridge, Hamuko looked out the window to see the sky lighting up, signaling that the sun was coming up.

A while later, Junpei nudged her, gaining her attention. "Hey check it out." He grinned, pointing over her shoulders. "Minato's knocked out cold."

She turned to look, blinking when she saw her blue haired friend sleeping in his seat. Hamuko laughed quietly along with Junpei. Silence lapsed once again and the three sat comfortably in their chairs, drifting off as they waited for their final destination.

* * *

As the third day of school began, everyone was starting to settle down. Sure, there was plenty of coverage on the news about the catastrophic monorail accident and there were some rumors floating around, but society was entering that familiar phase of ignoring it all together. Students were talking less about what happened yesterday. It was still popular, but the uproar was dwindling down slowly.

Hamuko was like the rest of her classmates, and she realized that she had forgotten about her near death experience. She did not mention it to the guys, who seemed content in ignoring the event.

She also did not mention her dream either, figuring Junpei will only make fun of her for it. Even if she had the blue key as proof, there would be no believing her.

When lunchtime came, Hamuko met up with the boys and walked them to the cafeteria. The line was long as always, and Hamuko excused herself, telling the boys to save any leftovers for her while she went to take a look at the clubs and committees. Minato did not mind her leaving, but Junpei protested loudly about her efforts to be a good student. For a second, Hamuko thought Junpei was jealous, but she shook off the thought, knowing it was not possible since she had yet to do anything.

It was still early on in the school year, so Hamuko was not surprised to find most of the clubrooms empty. After signing her name up for tennis and the cooking club, Hamuko went to check out the committees. It was a bit saddening after she found them though, seeing as many of them required some type of grade from her, which was impossible due to it being her first year here at Gekkoukan.

Once she finished writing Minato's name down for music and kendo, she decided to head back to the guys, who said that they would wait for her inside their classroom.

When she got there however, she saw the newest addition to the group.

The fellow freshman had black hair, slicked back despite how it had the appearance of being gel-less. His eyes were blue, a familiar blue that reminded her of Minato's eyes. Like the rest of the student body, he was wearing Gekkoukan's uniform, but seemed to have an attachment with the obnoxiously long scarf that screamed for attention.

"Hey, Hamu-tan!" Junpei's hand shot up and he eagerly waved in her direction. A few students looked in her direction, and she ignored them in favoring of waving back at Junpei just as eagerly. Trust them to make a big deal about everything.

She pulled up a seat and sat to the side of their moved desks. "What's up guys?" Her stomach grumbled, and she thanked Junpei who had saved some scraps for her, seeing as Minato was being too much of a pig to share.

Junpei grinned. "Nothing much, just talking about the phone number Minato got."

"Is it from a girl?" She took a bite out from her rice.

"You betcha!" He gave a stretch. "Too bad lover boy here is breaking hearts. He does not even want it, what's up with that?"

"I would not want some strange person's phone number either," Hamuko spoke up as she nibbled on a small sandwich. Minato agreed heartily, giving a small nod before he ignored them all, in favor for his food.

"By the way, I haven't introduced you to our new pal yet, have I?" Junpei asked, looking over at Hamuko. He pointed to the new occupant. "This is Mochizuki Ryoji; he's a freshman like us and has been studying overseas before this year. Apparently he's loaded too."

Ryoji gave a laugh. "I'm not rich Junpei." He looked at the cap-wearing student for a moment before focusing all of his attention on Hamuko. Reaching out with his hand, he greeted with a smile. "It's nice to meet a pretty girl like you." When she reached out to shake his hand, he turned her palm down and kissed the back of her hand.

Junpei whistled. "That was a smooth move. You got balls man!" He cackled.

"I'm Shujinko Hamuko," she said, smiling weakly. When the grip on her hand loosened, she pulled back quickly and proceeded to wipe the back of her hand against her skirt. Ryoji had charm, she could see that, but perhaps it was a little too much. She found it sickening, but she had better get used to it since Junpei added him into the group. She just wished that Ryoji would stop staring at her...along with those glaring female admirers of his.

When the end of classes rolled around, Hamuko could not wait to leave and hang out with the guys.

Hustling out of her class, she gave pause after catching sight of Ryoji's smiling form. He was with Junpei and Minato again, waving at her like she was an old friend and that nothing was wrong with the world. She felt a bit of annoyance creep in, but calmed herself before walking over to the three.

"Hey guys, where are you going off too?" she asked.

Junpei grinned. "We're going to my house, need some help moving my stuff to the co-ed dorms."

Hamuko raised a brow at him. "Is that what you were excited about this morning?"

"Nah, that's something else, but this is pretty sweet huh? I heard Yuka-tan is living there too." His face told her that he was plotting something. "What about you Hamu-tan, coming to help us weak men out?" It was a joke, but she took it with stride.

"I'm sorry." She had her hands on her hips and puffed up her chest. With a deep voice, she told him, "But you'll have to do without my strength! The power of friendship will overcome any obstacle!" Hamuko and Junpei could not seem to hold it any longer and busted out laughing. Sure the comment was outrageously stupid, but she figured it was right for the moment.

Ryoji stared at them, looking a bit out of place as he spoke, "You two seem close."

"Yeah, Hamu-tan is sorta like me ya know?"

"That's a scary picture," Minato droned, finally speaking. Hamuko had noticed that he became a little more secluded after she returned from lunch. Was it because of Ryoji? That was the only reason she could think of. Maybe the new addition was dangerous, seeing as Shinjiro had warned her about the student. Heck, was it even the same guy?

Ryoji seemed nice enough, a bit touchy feely, but still nice.

"Well, back to business," Hamuko said, bringing their attention to her. "I need to go home and see if my dad left me any messages, so you do what you gotta do." Well it was more of an excuse NOT to go.

She gave a whine when Junpei reached over and began messing up her hair.

"Will do, Hamu-tan!" He turned to the others. "Let's go guys! I don't want to be lugging around a suitcase when it gets dark."

The group left the school grounds, coming up to the bus stop about half and hour later. There was no need to separate for the moment, as they had to take the same route over the Moonlight Bridge, since the monorails were not available. Of course that brought up the topic about the accident. Junpei, who loved attention, had all but kept it a secret to Ryoji. While Hamuko did not mind the story, she grew more annoyed when Ryoji shot her worried looks and questioned her well being. Just like she expected from Minato, he grew more sensitive to Junpei's storytelling and seemed to be sending their friend dangerous looks.

She came to the conclusion that Minato did not like hearing stories about his friends in near death situations.

It was a good thing that Junpei did not know the whole story then. She could only wonder how much Minato would take before he flipped out and cast doom on Junpei.

* * *

Reaching the end of the bridge, the group disembarked. While the guys went one way, Hamuko went the other and in the direction of her apartment.

There were a few tenants actively walking around, either doing their laundry or taking out the trash, and she made sure to smile and greet them on her way up to her apartment room. Upon entering her room, she checked her voice mail, noticing that it was mainly advertisement. She had thought of calling her father, but frowned when she thought about how busy he was with hosting his Sunday shows. Plus, she had called a few times before and had only managed to get in contact with his secretaries.

With a sigh, she moved away from the phone and went to her bedroom. Her eyes immediately were drawn towards a blue key that was set upon her desk. Walking over to her bed, she placed down her bag and sat on the mattress so she could pick up the key. She set it in her palms and stared at it. This morning, she had thoughts of bringing it with her, just so she could try it out on that blue door she saw in the Paulownia Mall. She was not sure why she left it here when she was adamant in trying it out, but figured it was because she really did not want to find out the truth and prove her dreams to be real.

Placing the key back onto the desk, she proceeded to take off her shoes and socks before lying down onto her bed.

When her head hit the pillow, she gave the key one last look before shutting her eyes and decided to sleep everything off. She would have to do her homework later.

It was not until midnight when she awoke to a noise similar to a deep bellow and gurgle.

Like an alarm that went off in her brain, her eyes snapped open and she comprehended that Green Midnight had descended once more. She heard another Noise and became well aware of the danger she was in. She always heard their inhuman call first before they appeared.

Quickly getting off the bed, she pulled on her socks and slipped on her shoes. Running over to the closet, she slid it open and went to open a box that was placed nearby. When she opened it, she pulled out pieces of her naginata and began to assemble it. Once she was sure that each piece was locked in place, she walked back out to her room and looked for the apartment keys.

After finding the keys, she slipped them into the pockets of Shinjiro's coat, the one she had yet to take off.

Once she was set, Hamuko sped out of her apartment, making sure to lock it on her way out. She had to leave the building, despite how the shelter made her feel safe. The small rooms and close hallways would only get in the way of her fighting the monsters.

She took the stairs down and simultaneously began rolling up the sleeves of the coat so she could get a better grip on her weapon. Exiting the building, she gave a grimace as her shoes splashed through crimson. Water behaved and looked like blood, but she knew it was harmless; it was still water in the end.

Her eyes scanned the dark scenery, a bit grateful for the full moon's light.

Blobby hands reached out from alleyways, pulling at the cement streets as it attempted to move the rest of its grime like bodies. Despite the monsters disfigurements, the masks they wore were always secured upon their forms.

They came towards her, slow, but en masse.

Hamuko took a deep breath, and then shouted, "EURYDICE!"

Blue mist appeared around Hamuko's feet, circling them before lifting up over her knees. Wind whipped at the coat and Hamuko's hair. There was the sound of cracking glass before a transparent form came out from her figure, rising up above her and taking a solid appearance of a woman.

It was no normal woman. The figure had shoulder length brunette hair, similar to Hamuko's chestnut color but a little redder. The hair was wild and untamed, often times whipping before the red eyes that stared at the monsters. The woman was sitting on thin air, wearing gold with a skin as black as night, and held a lyre dearly in her arms. Wrapped around one of the woman's ankle was a hissing snake.

Hamuko raised a hand and pointed towards the oncoming monsters. "AGI!" she ordered.

Eurydice gave a woeful cry before she threw her left hand out. There was a flare of red that appeared between the monsters before a spark erupted and fire spurred.

Hamuko could hear the Noise again as the masked beings let out cries of pain. They were stunned but not dead. Hefting her naginata up, she charged into the crowd and whipped her weapon around, stabbing with her blade and ripping it through spongy bodies. She had no problems killing the smaller ones, but as she continued through the streets, she noticed more were beginning to take on larger shapes.

She was now waging combat with a bird like monster.

"_What's going on…?"_ she thought. Sure she had been attacked plenty times before, but the monsters were never as big as this. From what she could see, Iwatodai was infested with them and they kept crawling out to fight her. That only confused her, just why were there so many monsters in one city? Everywhere she looked, there was one small, medium, and even a few large ones, which she carefully avoided.

She gave a grunt when the vulture knocked her to the ground, clawing at her arm as she attempted to push it away from her face. Her familiar, Eurydice, sensed her distress and came over, smacking the bird into the ground with Orpheus' lyre. Hamuko rolled back onto her feet and quickly turned to stab the bird into the ground. It let out a dying squawk before it lost its shape. Giving a sigh, Hamuko stood up and panted, realizing that she was growing tired. She had used up most of Eurydice's Agi skills on the last few batches of small monsters and did not have anything to replenish it. It was a big problem, especially if the monsters kept coming for her throughout the entire Green Midnight.

"_Can I even last an hour with just plain physical attacks?"_ she thought, growing worried as she marched forward. Where could she hide without the fear of being attacked?

The Velvet Room came into mind.

She was not sure if it was going to work, but she had to check it out. If anything, Igor might have something that could help her survive this frenzy, should it continue happening in the future.

Turning around, she began walking back to her apartment to get the Velvet Key, but paused when she felt a strange rumble beneath her feet. "_An earthquake…?"_ she thought, her eyes furrowing. "_At a time like this?"_

She was wrong when she heard the Noise behind her.

Turning around, she got into a stance and prepared herself to call Eurydice for help.

Hamuko froze. "_W-What the hell…?_"

The creature…was massive, but thin. It was made up of only intersecting hands that reached out and pushed against the ground to help it move, like a spider, only that each hand was equipped with blades. One of the forehands held up a mask, the black sockets staring at her, mocking her.

Hamuko shifted, bracing herself as she held her weapon in front of her. The thing moved, so fast that she had almost fell backwards during her surprise, but caught herself and quickly rolled out of the way. Turning around, she called on Eurydice. The familiar appeared before her once more, using the lyre to smash the large creature away before disappearing.

She let out a gasp and kneeled over, feeling her energy draining quickly.

Tendrils burst from the ground, heading towards her. Upon seeing them, Hamuko turned and ran, but gave a yelp when she felt them wrap around her ankle, sending her to the ground with a hard yank.

"Polydeuces!" There was the sound of cracking glass along with an echo of a…gunshot?

The grip around her legs had slackened, and Hamuko quickly sat up to cut the tendrils with her blade. When they were off, she turned to look at her savior, surprised to find out that she was not the only one who could walk around during Green Midnight. Her eyes widened when she saw that it was none other than Akihiko, the student from the monorail accident.

Getting up weakly, she used her naginata to hold her weight. Despite the boxer's skill, she could see that he was having difficulties in landing a hit on the creature due to its many arms. Out of frustration, Akihiko fell back and Hamuko wondered why he chose not to use any special attacks. Maybe his familiar was purely physical? It was either that or the fact that he used up all his energy already. That would make sense.

Her eyes widened when she caught sight of the gun the boxer had pulled out. She saw him place it to his head, and she almost believed that he was committing suicide. When she heard the same sound of breaking glass and the gunshot, she realized that he was using a medium. The gun was a strange and particular medium, but one nonetheless. It only confused her though, why a gun? Could he summon his familiar without it like she can? She did not have much time to muse over the information before Akihiko ran over to her. The monster behind him was momentarily stunned and knocked away.

"Can you run?" he asked quickly. Hamuko stood up straight and tested her footing. When it seemed like she was okay, she gave a nod.

"Good," he said nothing more and grabbed her wrist, forcing her to run away with him. They moved just in time to dodge one of the creature's thrown weapons.

"Where are we going?" Hamuko asked as she sped up, her chest heaving as she attempted to keep her breath.

"Co-ed dorm, Mitsuru and the others are there," he answered her.

Others…? There was more like her? Wait, did that mean Junpei was one of them? She remembered him briefly mentioning that he was going to live in the co-ed dorms. Could it be the same one?

"What is that thing?" Hamuko asked. She looked back to find the black hands running after them. With a shudder, she turned forward and quickened her pace. Akihiko easily kept up with her speed.

"A Shadow," Akihiko spoke. "I have a few questions of my own, but lets save it after this."

Hamuko nodded.

About five minutes later, the two came across the Dorm, which was not too far from Iwatodai's strip mall, much less Hamuko's apartment. It was a surprise to her that Akihiko lived so close by and yet they never seemed to cross each other except once.

As the two climbed up the stairs, Hamuko let out a yelp as she was pulled backwards. Akihiko flailed a bit as well, seeing as he still grasped her hand. The two fell down the stairs, landing painfully on their backs. Letting go of Akihiko's hand, Hamuko tried to push herself up, but end up gripping the ground as she felt herself being dragged back. She could feel them again, the tendrils that wrapped around her eyes turned to Akihiko, who was trying to retaliate, but the Shadow had already sets its eyes on him. With a whip of its tendrils, it sent Akihiko flying, slamming the boxer into the ground before tossing the sophomore into a street lamp. He let out a pained cry and Hamuko felt sick, realizing that he must have broken or sprained something. The move was too quick, but she could see the silver haired student nursing his arm, then her vision turned upside down. The tendrils were quickly wrapping around her form, tying her arms against her body and preventing her from using her naginata.

Hamuko called out her familiar. "Eury-" She immediately paused when she felt light headed and her vision began splitting. She was overused and weak, there would be no way she could call on Eurydice without fainting. Regarding that information, she panicked.

She could feel her whole body moving and before long, she was dangling in front of the Shadow that was chasing her and Akihiko.

As she stared into black eyes, her vision was momentarily blinded by a flutter of blue. "_What the…?"_ She went cross-eyed as a blue butterfly seemingly came out of nowhere and sat on her nose, seemingly unconcerned about her near death situation. The insect looked familiar. She knew that she saw a similar one when she was a child, but now was not the time to be contemplating. As her vision zoned in on its detailed wings, Hamuko decided to try summon Eurydice again, hoping she would have enough strength to hold her familiar long enough to fight off the Shadow.

"EURYDICE!" she cried out. There was the sound of glass shattering and blue mist swirled around her. With a frantic flap, the butterfly took off, fluttering towards the green moon as Hamuko's familiar appeared above her.

Then the pain came.

It felt like her head was splitting open, and she let out a scream. Her head began pounding, like her brain was beating life into her and not her heart. The feeling of pinprick needles was stabbing into her head, withdrawn before they were plunged in again. Then, it was gone, and a cool relief washed over her before it was replaced with a sense of adrenaline. She felt powerful, like she could do anything.

There was a sharp slicing sound and Hamuko felt the Shadow's grasp on her loosened. Her heart jumped as she found herself falling, hitting the ground with a thump as her weapon clattered next to her. Hamuko pushed herself up, her hands ripping away the tangles that still covered her body. When she was free, she stood and picked up her weapon. Hamuko raised her head and found herself staring at a coffin, but it was not like the rest. The hulking figure before her was tall, emitting rasping sounds as it crouched. It moved farther away, closer to the Shadow whose hands were forcibly detached. As it proceeded to tear the rest of the Shadow's body, Hamuko managed to get a good look at the strange familiar.

It wore a helmet in the shape of a bird's skull; its matching jaw was attached to its faceless head. Its body was black, flaring out like a cape as it reached its waist, and had white covering its arms and legs. Wrapped around its waist was a belt while strapped to its side was a long sheath that held its sword. Lastly, its wings were nothing more than thin coffins that were chained to its back. It was the very coffin she was looking at earlier.

…White and black, they were the colors of death.

Hamuko felt her nerves calm as she kept Death in her sights. The name of the familiar was known to her, indicating that she had indeed summon it instead of Eurydice. Even if she knew the name of her familiar, it felt like there was something more to it. "_Thanatos…"_ He…gave a jerk, pausing in his battle as if he had heard her. As she concentrated harder, Thanatos' move sets became clearer.

"Deathbound!" she commanded.

Thanatos let out a bellowing roar that echoed across the streets. Bringing his sword up to his person, he held it high above him before bringing it down like a strike of judgment. Dark mist seeped from the ground at an alarming rate, creating a painful hissing sound as it made contact with the Shadow. Hamuko could not see what was happening, but the Noise that she frequently heard was dying down till she heard none at all. As the circling cloud of black fog dispersed, all that was left of the Shadow was its mask; the rest of it had been turned into mush. With care, Hamuko walked over to Thanatos' side, staring at the Shadows' mask as she encroached even closer. When there was no attack on her person, Hamuko gave her naginata a twirl before she stabbed the mask right between the eyes. It split, cracked and crumbled to pieces as she withdrew her blade.

"Akihiko!"

"Hamu-tan!"

The call was familiar, and Hamuko turned around to smile at Junpei who waved at her from the dorm's steps. Yukari was behind him, looking unsure as to what she should do. To her surprise, Shinjiro was here also, not in a coffin like she expected. He only gave her a nod in acknowledgment before he followed Mitsuru, both going off to check on Akihiko who was immobile nearby.

Hamuko's vision blackened, and she felt her legs giveaway. She heard shouts, but they were muffled, as if she was underwater.

"_I expect there to be some big explanation when I wake up,"_ Hamuko thought as her eyes closed.

She could have sworn Death was laughing at her.

* * *

Setton: Of course since Hamuko is not in SEES, she does not know that the "monsters" are called Shadows. I chose the term "monster" for Hamuko to use due to the fact that the term "monster" originally meant, "to warn". About the "Noise", it's basically what a Shadow sounds like. When I heard it in the game, I sort of have trouble trying to describe it. I will be using the term "Noise" to describe a Shadow's cry, you guys can fill in the blanks on how it sounds like.


	4. The Execution Squad

Setton: School is coming up, and I am finally going to start on my major/minor. My updating should be steady, but I am not sure for right now. In the future, the rating for this fic will go to M, well, considering that Persona 3 is a mature game that contains drug use, guns, killing, suicidal students who run around with weapons, blood, and sexual references.

**Riku Arisato**: Thanks for the review, I wanted to try something different for my Persona story rather than have it follow the game completely. I mean, there will be elements of the game and events that are the same, but most of all I had change some things, such as adding the monorail accident. If you are a fan of Foolshipping, do not worry; there will be more moments of those considering what is coming up.

**Memiroa**: Thanks! I will update as soon as I can, seeing as you are enjoying this story as much as I am.

**Ultimate AI**: My first thought was to go full AU, but I figured it would be better if I stick with the game elements. A lot of readers enjoy seeing different viewpoints for their favorite scenes, the most popular being Yakushima, Shirakawa Boulevard, and the Kyoto Trip. About Minato and Hamuko's relation, no, they are not and will not be related in the future. They are two different people. About the Shadow Hearts thing, yeah, I was reminded greatly of MegaTen. I even thought that Atlus created Shadow Hearts, but remembered that the game was not a part of the MegaTen series.

On another note, I know that the calendar is not accurate with the year (comparing 2007 to 2009), but I would like to keep it the same with the game. That means the year 2007 will be following the 2009 calendar. As the year goes by, 2008 should follow the 2010 calendar.

* * *

The Execution Squad

When Hamuko woke up, she believed that she was dead.

"We meet again my dear guest."

…Then she realized that she was still dreaming.

Hamuko began rubbing her eyes, feeling fatigue despite it being a dream. How was that even possible?

Igor seemed to notice her dilemma and commented, "It seems that summoning your Persona has taken a toll on your psyche."

"Persona…?" She looked at him weirdly. "You mean my familiars?"

He gave a nod. "Yes. Eurydice, the woman to answer your call is a Persona, a manifestation of your psyche. She is in fact a part of your mind and soul, equipped with her own personality and mannerisms that can be found in you. It reacts to external stimuli, taking on a more physical form and functions similar to that of a mask."

"I see…" The puzzle pieces were beginning to click in place.

"You are quite strong," Igor told her. "But it seems much of your abilities have hampered, weakened. I suppose…it is to be expected." Despite Hamuko's look of confusion, he did not elaborate. "The power of your Persona's abilities depends on your Social Links, your emotional bonds with others. Now, how you choose to achieve it is up to you. Will you befriend others for the sake of power? Or will you put aside strength in order to cherish them? Every decision you make has a consequence, remember that."

Hamuko nodded.

"Good." Igor grinned. "I shouldn't keep you here any longer then. The next time we meet, you will have to come here on your own accord. Until then… Farewell."

She was induced to sleep once more.

* * *

**4/17/07**

When Hamuko awoke, she was surprised to find her fatigue gone, as if it had never been there in the first place. It was a bit alarming, she never thought about how different time flowed in her dreams and reality. She mulled over what she learned, her eyes staring up at the white ceiling.

...White ceiling?

Hamuko sat up, looking around the room to see that she was not back home, but in the hospital. She placed a bet that it was probably the Tatsumi Memorial Hospital, seeing that it was owned and run by the Kirijo Company. Mitsuru would have enough sense to give her good medical care. A soak in the Green Midnight for too long can be dangerous to one's health after all.

There was pressure on the bed, and Hamuko finally turned her focus on the room's other occupant. Blue hair stuck out, spilling itself over her white sheets as Minato had promptly passed out on her bed. She was not surprised to see him, figuring that Junpei had told him the news about her collapsing and admittance to the hospital, but did Minato know the real truth of it?

Hamuko scratched her head and then took notice that her pins were gone, and someone had let down her hair. The coat she was wearing was gone too, placed off to the side on a nearby chair. Sitting on top of it was her bright orange sweater and uniform top. She figured that her clothes –except for blouse and skirt- were removed just so she would not overheat later on. The information caused her to look outside, just realizing how early it was. A sudden panic swept over her. Was she late for school?

Wow, here she had almost lost her life, and now the first thing she worried about was school? If only she could use that as an excuse for her absences.

_"Why were you late?"_

_"I was almost killed by a Shadow?"_

Yeah, that conversation would not go well with the entire faculty.

Hamuko gave a yawn, covering her mouth with her hand briefly before she reached over and began combing her fingers through Minato's soft hair. He did not seem to mind, despite his unconscious state, and she believed that he actually enjoyed it when she lightly ran her nails over his scalp. She kept doing this, hoping it would stimulate his senses enough to wake him. It was a slow process, but it was better than having him jolt out of his sleep.

"Minato." She started moving his head, but he simply buried his face into the clean sheets. Rolling her eyes, she spoke. "You're awake, aren't you?"

"No I'm not."

She gave a laugh, patting his head before she moved back, allowing Minato to sit up straight. He ran his fingers through his hair, messing it up before he turned to her.

He greeted her. "Morning."

"Morning," she said back before she tilted her head. "What's today's date?"

"It's the seventeenth."

"What…?" Hamuko's eyes widened quickly. "Wait, so I've been sleeping for a week?" She cursed and looked down at her lap. "I missed so many lessons. What about my homework?"

"Junpei said not to worried about it," Minato told her, causing Hamuko to look up. "Not sure why though."

"_Probably it's because of Mitsuru-sempai,"_ Hamuko thought. The redhead had a lot of power and influence over the school that it was almost scary.

Addressing Minato, she asked, "So why are you here?"

"I wanted to visit."

"Did Junpei tell you what happened?"

"He only told me that you collapsed from shock." Minato stared at her. "Why…? Is there something else?"

Hamuko shook her head. "No." She hated having to lie to him.

The sound of a door sliding caused the two to look up in unison, making the intruder pause and nervously take a step back.

"I'm sorry if I interrupted something, but can I take a moment to talk to her in private?" spoke the new occupant.

Hamuko blinked at the lighter haired brunette, before her eyes turned to look at Minato. He regarded the person at the door with a long look, as if contemplating something. Then with a slow nod, he got up.

Turning to Hamuko, he spoke, "See you later."

She smiled. "Ja ne." Hamuko watched as her friend leave the room. Then when he was gone, Hamuko turned to her classmate. "What's up, Yukari-chan?" she asked as Yukari closed the door and came over to the bed. The popular freshman blinked owlishly, quite taken aback by the honorific, but otherwise accepted the attachment.

"Nothing much," Yukari said, shifting nervously. "Um, how are you feeling? Everyone from class is worried when you didn't come to school. Junpei wouldn't shut up about it either."

"I'm okay. I was just tired."

"O-Oh… Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah…?"

"Do you remember everything that happened, you know, that night?"

Slowly, but surely, Hamuko nodded. "If you're talking about the Shadows, then yeah I remember." To her confusion, her classmate let out a sigh of relief.

"That's good." Yukari smiled wearily. "I really don't like lying, but Mitsuru-sempai told me not to say anything about it if you didn't remember." Her lips formed a frown and her brows furrowed. There was an expression of irritation as the redhead was mentioned. "She's one of the reasons I actually came down here. She wanted to talk to you about what happened and asked that you come to the Dorm after school tomorrow. Do you need directions?"

"Is Junpei with you guys?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Then I'll ask him to take me there tomorrow."

Yukari nodded. "Well, I should get going now. I just wanted to pass on the message and see how you were doing." She walked over to the door and turned around, waving at Hamuko. "See you in class tomorrow, I'll tell everyone you woke up."

"Thanks." Hamuko grinned. "Oh, and Yukari-chan?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you see if I have any homework? I sort of doubt Junpei's ability to do gather anything that has to do with school for me."

Yukari's former nervousness disappeared, and her lips formed a smile. "No problem, just leave it to me."

* * *

**4/18/07**

Hamuko met up with Yukari the next morning at the school gate. It was not coincidence that brought them together, seeing as the light haired brunette had purposely waited at the gate for her. Unfortunately, there seemed to be more news for Hamuko, and Yukari was openly showing irritation in being the messenger. Apparently the chairman, by the family name Ikutsuki, wanted to talk to her once she visited the co-ed dorm. Yukari did not give any details, but did mention that he had a connection with the dorm's residents. Hamuko could only nod and agree to come by, already knowing she would not be able to escape Mitsuru's interrogation.

After the talk with Yukari, the two went to class together. Fortunately, Mr. Ekoda was not teaching their class for that day, and Hamuko was able to escape his wraith. With the ever-growing popularity that Yukari harbored, Hamuko took notice that students were beginning to pay attention to her as well. Gossip spread about the two girls' apparent friendship and by the time lunch came around; heads would turn when Hamuko walked into every room. She of course mentioned this to Yukari, who showed outright disgust and annoyance.

"Don't they have anything better to do?" Yukari questioned Hamuko as they waited in line. Yukari was in fact talking about the gossiping students.

The boys were behind them, Junpei as ecstatic as ever, especially with the return of Hamuko. Minato's feelings were more subtle, and he once again proceeded to ignore everyone in favor of staring at the food ahead. Ryoji was here as well, seemingly joyful to be in the presence of the two females.

"I don't see what's the problem," Ryoji replied to Yukari's question, smiling as he did so. "I wouldn't mind talking about you two beautiful girls. Ow!" He gave a cry of pain when Yukari turned around and satisfyingly stepped onto his toe.

"Keep your comments to yourself," she warned, and then whipped around to point at Junpei. "Better watch it Stupei. If you keep messing with my skirt, I won't hesitate to bring my bow in here and use you for archery practice!"

"Geez, chill out Yuka-tan, I was only playing." Junpei gave a yelp when Yukari began assaulting his person. Hamuko could not help but laugh at the girl's fiery temper.

It was a bit strange; Hamuko had never expected to make so many friends in just a few days. At first it was two, simply Junpei and Minato. Then, Ryoji came in, even though she knew little about him. Last was Yukari, Hamuko's first female friend. Hamuko had also thought about counting Shinjiro, but was not sure how to label him. She never saw him since the day she fell unconscious, and he never went out his way to hang out with them either.

Well, it should change in the future.

* * *

After school, there was a bit of a panic.

Hamuko was to go meet up with Mitsuru alone, but with the presence of Ryoji and Minato, there would be complications. Yukari knew this and had sacrificed her time with the archery club to walk with them to the bus after school. After crossing the Moonlight Bridge, Junpei was the first to leave for the dorm. When Yukari suggested a girl's outing, Minato took the hint that males were not welcomed, and he promptly left as well. Ryoji was a bit harder to shake off, seeing as he had nothing else to do with his free time. He had no dates with girls today and had even offered to walk Yukari and Hamuko around while they "shop". Yukari made a few threats on his person and eventually he left the two alone.

"Do you think that's a bit harsh?" Hamuko asked as she followed her classmate.

"I don't think so." Yukari looked a bit unsure, then her expression changed to determined. "Then again he deserved it. Ugh, I can't stand guys like him!"

"I think he's pretty nice." Touchy, but nice.

"He's nice to every girl," Yukari retorted, her face showing revolt. "I'm sure he's one of those guys who get close to girls just so he can get into their skirts. I saw him flirting around with a bunch of them a few days ago at school during lunch. I also heard that he's dated most of them already."

"I thought you didn't like listening to rumors."

Yukari looked down guilty. "W-Well yeah, but this is Mochizuki we're talking about. I saw his flirting first hand, so it's acceptable that I watch out for him right?"

"I guess." Hamuko hummed. "Oh yeah, sorry about earlier. I didn't mean for you to quit practice for today."

"It's fine." Yukari shrugged. "I had to make sure the guys didn't follow you. After all, it would look weird if Junpei stayed to 'walk you home'."

"Yeah, Minato and Ryoji have the tendency to follow a group."

She noted this a lot whenever she and Junpei came together. Minato would do everything they did, never really taking the initiative to lead. Like that time with Game Panic, Minato followed them and even played the games at the prodding of Junpei. Minato played DDR only after she started it. He would get in line for lunch only if she or Junpei was there. Ryoji was similar to Minato in a way that he did not do things by himself, and followed after them.

Her musing was cut short when the two arrived at the dorm.

Junpei was inside the lounge, playing his Comp. At the sound of their entrance, he grinned at them before saving his game. Once he was done, he got up from the couch and proceeded to lead the two up the stairs to the fourth floor. On the way, Hamuko took notice on how many rooms there were in the building. For a dorm, there were not many, and she figured that it was only for those who were capable of moving during the Green Midnight.

They reached the Control Room, and Junpei opened the door while loudly announcing their entrance.

"Da da da daaaa~! The Princess has arrived!" Junpei exclaimed as they walked into the room. He only got odd looks from the occupants and an annoyed glare from Yukari. As the three walked deeper into the room, they took a seat on the couch as an older man began to speak.

"I'm glad that you came today," he said. "My name is Ikutsuki Shuji, I'm the chairman of Gekkoukan High School. Ikutsuki, hard to say isn't it? Even I get tongue tied sometimes. Everyone only stare at him with exasperation on their faces, and he wisely chose to change topics. I know you met them earlier, but I'd like to refresh you memory." Ikutsuki looked up, his eyes turning to stare at each member on the team. "This young man here is Sanada Akihiko."

Akihiko raised a hand as Hamuko turned to look at her. "How ya doin'?"

"Next we have Kirijo Mitsuru."

The redhead gave a nod, smiling pleasantly. "I'm glad that you decided to come by."

"Over there is Aragaki Shinjiro."

Compared to the other two, the tall brunette looked irritated to be even in the same room as them. At the sound of the introduction, he merely grunted and turned away. Mitsuru sent him a warning glare while Akihiko sent his friend a look of confusion.

Ikutsuki let out an awkward cough, but otherwise continued. "I'm can see that you already know Iori Junpei and Takeba Yukari. Anyway, now with introductions aside, I would like to ask you a question. If I were to say that a day would consist of more than 24 hours, would you believe me?"

Hamuko nodded. "Of course I would. I've known that for eight years now."

Junpei exclaimed, "WHAT!" Nearly jumping off the sofa with a shocked look on his face. He was not the only one. Literally everyone in the room was staring at her with mixed looks of horror and complete surprise.

"Eight years? That would mean you were just a child when you awakened your potential," Ikutsuki spoke, his expression morphing into glee. "That's incredible! Other than Mitsuru, everyone else has awakened his or hers just recently."

Mitsuru shifted uncomfortably, her eyes sadly directing themselves to the floor.

"How…" Yukari trailed off, looking quite worried. "Ikutsuki-san, Mitsuru-sempai, why hasn't the Shadows preyed on her yet? I mean…if she was just a child…"

"…" Mitsuru stayed quiet.

"Summoning a Persona without the use of a medium takes great skill," explained the chairman, as he pushed up his glasses. "If that was the case, then Hamuko's power must be very potent. Do you all remember her summoning that strange Persona?"

Everyone tensed while Hamuko perked up, realizing that she had been watched. "_The dorm must have cameras around."_

"W-Wait…I don't get it." Junpei leaned forward, his face etched with confusion. "I thought we could only summon one Persona, so how did SHE," He pointed to Hamuko, "get two?"

"Hmm…I'm not so sure."

Hamuko saw their expectant looks, and she sheepishly answered, "I'm sorry. I don't know either. I remembered trying to summon Eurydice, but Thanatos appeared instead. I never knew I was able to summon him at all."

"Thanatos…" Ikutsuki leaned against his chair, and she noted that he looked more content.

She could hear a whisper from the back of her mind. "_I don't trust him."_ It was Eurydice. The Persona was more cautious, a side that Hamuko rarely acted upon or paid much attention too. What ever her Persona had thought of, she knew it would be an important note later on. From the looks the chairman was getting from Shinjiro, her hunch may have been correct. The tall brunette was staring at the proper man skeptically.

"_Maybe I'm looking too much into this,"_ Hamuko thought. Ikutsuki did nothing to warrant him any type of accusation, other than being overly excited about her power. Then again, it is not like everyone acted the same way.

"So what now?" Junpei asked after getting over his initial shock. His questioned seemingly brought everyone back to the matter at hand.

"Ah yes, I had almost forgotten," Ikutsuki replied, which got him some raised eyebrows. "So you have been aware of this change for eight years. That hidden hour you are experiencing, we call that the Dark Hour. It is during that time where everyone -who doesn't have the 'potential'- transmogrifies, and Shadows begin to roam the streets."

"But that's not all," Akihiko spoke up, interrupting him. "It used to be only during the Dark Hour when Shadows are active. Lately, there have been reports of accidents and more cases concerning those with Apathy Syndrome. The Shadows don't show up during the day, but they had a hand in causing trouble by taking over people's minds. You know…like that driver."

Images of black eyes seared through her mind, causing Hamuko to shiver.

"What ever happened to him anyway?" Hamuko questioned, tilting her head.

"He fell to the Shadows," Mitsuru spoke grimly. "Like the others, he has been inflicted with the Apathy Syndrome."

"Which is the reason the club, S.E.E.S., was created," Ikutsuki explained. "It stands as Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad. I am the club adviser while Mitsuru here is the leader. Everyone you see here –except for me of course- has the potential to defeat these Shadows, that is our main goal."

Akihiko grinned. "Sounds exciting, doesn't it?"

Mitsuru's head turned sharply, and she directed an icy glare at the silver haired boxer. "This isn't a game Akihiko. Need I remind you of what happened to your arm?" Her voice took on a deadly tone, almost reaching a hiss as she tried to talk some sense into him. Akihiko did not take too kindly towards her animosity and revealed his own dislike for her coddling by returning her icy glare.

"It's my fault."

Everyone blinked and turned towards Hamuko, who gave a slight bow from her seat. "Sorry, the reason he got hurt was because of me."

"That may be true, but Akihiko still has the habit of being reckless," Mitsuru commented, causing Shinjiro to grunt in agreement.

"Now, now." Ikutsuki attempted to pacify the hostile sophomores. "He may be reckless, but he does his job well."

"Ugh…" Yukari gave a defeated sigh before muttering lowly to Hamuko, "He's only making matters worse."

"Let's move on, shall we?" Ikutsuki looked over to Mitsuru. She caught his look and nodded, standing up momentarily to unlock a briefcase that laid on top of a table. When she opened it, she spun the case around so that Hamuko was able to look at its contents.

The redhead informed, "We wanted to ask for your help. It's your decision whether to accept or walk away, but if you do walk out, please keep everything you heard a secret." When Hamuko nodded, Mitsuru continued. "We prepared an Evoker for you, should you agree to join us. I understand full well that you do not need a medium to summon your Persona, but it would be best if you use this to save some of your strength."

Hamuko looked at the gun for a minute, before speaking, "May I ask you something?" At the nod of Mitsuru, she went on. "Did you lie to me, when we met at the Chagall Café?"

Mitsuru's expression became apologetic. "Partly. I'm sorry, but I had no way of knowing if you had the 'potential'. I had to lie about the driver's condition so that the occurrence would not induce any panic. I hope you can understand that."

Hamuko nodded, her eyes becoming more thoughtful. "_So there is not much of a choice for me, is there?"_ Hamuko sighed inwardly as she took a look at everyone around the room. Expectant stares as always, in some cases, gazes. "_So what is your choice Hamuko? Go home and forget this happen? Let Junpei, Yukari, and the others go out on nightly excursions to save the world and defeat the things that are also hunting you? Heck, I should just accept it; the Shadows would never leave me alone anyway."_ It also beats having to fight them by herself. She could keep an eye out for Junpei and Yukari. "_I'm going to regret this later."_

With a nod, Hamuko spoke, "I accept."

"Welcome to the team!" Junpei cheered, slinging an arm around Hamuko's shoulders. Junpei's reaction was predictable as always, as where Ikutsuki's, Akihiko's, and Mitsuru's. The three had smiles on their faces, welcoming expressions to show that they were grateful that she was contributing to their cause. To Hamuko's confusion, Shinjiro and Yukari did not show the same excitement that the others did. Instead, the two's expression were mirrored by each other, showing great concern. She could only wonder why.

There was the sound of cracking glass and it seemed time had slowed down.

"_Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Fool Arcana..."_

The voice of Eurydice faded, and Hamuko felt strangely re-energized.

…Is this what Igor meant by Social Links?

* * *

Hamuko left for home after the meeting, pondering what had happened. After accepting to join the group, Ikutsuki had suggested she that she lived with the rest of SEES. There was one problem with that, her father. If there was anything he was adamant about, it was her living in a co-ed dorm. Mitsuru and Ikutsuki told her that they would handle her father. In the meanwhile, Hamuko was to start moving her things tomorrow. Seeing that her apartment was not too far away from them, Ikutsuki had requested that the SEES members help her out with moving, much to the complaint of Junpei.

Dark Hour had hit, but Hamuko had already arrived and was seated on her bed. The briefcase that Mitsuru gave her was set against the bed's side.

"Hi, how was your day?" The question caused her to jump slightly. With a whip of her head, she found Pharos standing by the end of her bed.

"PHAROS!" Hamuko slid off the bed to pick up his small form, twirling him around a bit with a laugh before sending them both tumbling onto her mattress. "I haven't seen you since forever!"

He had an amused smile, not too surprised by her reaction. "I'm sorry. I was sleeping," he replied. "I actually came by to tell you that the end is coming."

Hamuko's smile dropped, and she regarded him with confusion. "End…? What end?"

"The end to everything, but I don't know what it is exactly." Pharos titled his head, half of his half was buried into her covers, and she could only see his left blue eye. "It appears you have awakened your power. The ability to use many form, it fits you because you're always changing."

"Doesn't feel that way," Hamuko told him before she sat up and picked up the briefcase. Opening it, she showed Pharos the contents. "I just joined a group called SEES today. They're like me, Persona users who fight against the Shadows. Apparently they use this Evoker as a medium to summon their Persona, but I'm sort of hesitant in using this." She picked up the gun, her thumb traveled over the harden metal. "So we just hold it to our head and fire right? I know Mitsuru-sempai said that we must feel some sort of mental stress, but I don't like her method of doing things."

Pharos sat up, taking a moment to lean over and peer at the gun. "Perhaps you should use it?" he suggested. "It help with training."

"Yeah, okay." Hamuko placed away the gun and closed the suitcase. After she placed it back in its previous position, she flopped onto the bed again. "I met that man who gave you the contract."

Pharos smiled. "I know."

"He said his name is Igor."

"I know."

"He also has assistants somewhere in this world; do you know where they are?"

Her friend frowned. "I don't know."

"So much for you being all knowing." Hamuko laughed at him. "I don't know what they do, but Igor said that they would be really helpful."

"Well if you wish…" Pharos climbed off her bed. "I can look into this for you."

"That would be great, thank you Pharos."

He faded from sight, his last words being. "Anything for you, my dearest."

* * *

**4/19/07**

Two days, it would take her two days to move.

"Okay I'm back!" Hamuko hopped into the room. "There are some people on the second floor who said that they were willing to take the couches."

"Good to know." Shinjiro grunted from the kitchen, seemingly taking great care to pack away her fragile wares.

"Stupei! I said get out! You're not supposed to enter a girl's room!" Yukari's shout caused the two to turn towards the hallway.

"Oh c'mon! I thought I was supposed to help Hamu-tan move!" replied Junpei.

Hamuko merely raised a brow before she shook her head and walked behind her kitchen counter, taking a spot near Shinjiro and began helping him pack.

"Thanks for the other day," she told him.

"It's nothing."

"Maybe not to you, but it really cheered me up," she said as she began wrapping some glass cups with a handful of napkins. When she thought back to the day she cried, laughter bubbled up in her throat, and she could see Shinjiro pausing in his work. "I find it funny how you and Minato seemed to have the same idea. He also gave me food."

Shinjiro started moving again, going back to cushioning the wares before sticking them into boxes.

"It's going to be hard not to say anything to him," Hamuko mused, her eyes filled up with guilt. "I know it may not look like a big deal, but it feels weird…"

"I know," Shinjiro commented, causing her to look at him. His brown eyes peered at her. "Aki was like that for a while, till I beat the truth out of him. Even though I already had my Persona, he tried to keep me from joining SEES." He gritted his teeth as a look of annoyance crossed his face. "The idiot, he's never good with hiding things."

Hamuko smiled as she began piling up some nearby plates. "Neither am I. While I don't know about Minato much, I do know that he cares about his friends. He seems pretty sharp too, well, considering that he knew what I was crying about." She blinked as she came upon the thought. "In fact, he sort of reminds me of you." She titled her head and then smiled. "By the way, are you sure you don't want your coat anymore?"

"It's fine; I'm not attached to it anyway," Shinjiro replied.

"Really?" She looked at him confused. "It smells strongly of you actually. You must have worn it a lot."

He turned incredibly red at her sentence, nearly dropping the glass he was holding. "W-What are you? A dog?"

"If I was, would you take me home?" Hamuko looked at him mischievously.

"N-No!" came the flustered reply.

"Afraid of me tearing up the furniture? Don't worry; I'll be a good girl." She joked, finding his frustrated expression to be hilarious. There was the sound of a doorbell, and Hamuko looked over her shoulder. To her dismay, Shinjiro took that moment to mess up her hair, very much like Junpei used to do, before she was sent out the kitchen.

"That's probably Aki. Go open the door," Shinjiro commanded, attempting to control the redness in his cheeks.

Hamuko glared at him, before deciding that it was a good time to escape his wraith, lest his hands decided to make her hair into a bird's nest. With a huff, she took off her bobby pins and untied her hair. Running her hands through her brunette locks, she made sure they were straightened out and not tangled. Opening her apartment door wide, she found herself in a staring match with Akihiko.

It did not last long.

"A-Ah, s-sorry, I must have gotten the wrong number," Akihiko apologized before he moved to leave.

Hamuko let out a laugh before she hooked her fingers on the back of his vest and pulled him back. "Akihiko-sempai, it's me." She watched him turn, giving her a calculated look before he blushed at his mistake.

He scratched his head in embarrassment. "Sorry, you look different with your hair down."

"I wouldn't have that problem if it weren't for somebody I know~!" Hamuko's voice climbed higher as she purposely leaned back to direct her glare at the kitchen's occupant. To her annoyance, Shinjiro gave no reply, and she turned to address Akihiko. "By the way, why are you here? I thought Mitsuru-sempai didn't want you to strain your arm."

Akihiko looked at his left arm, giving a moment to flex it a bit. "It should be fine, as long as I don't use it." He had a weary look. "I can't even go to practice like this, so I thought it would be better if I came here and help."

Hamuko blinked as she moved over to let him in. "You're in a club?" she asked curiously.

"Yeah, boxing club. You should come watch sometime."

It was like a bomb had set off in her brain, and Hamuko promptly looked over at Shinjiro, who did not seem to be listening to their conversation. "Hey, Akihiko-sempai, can you head to the back and see if Junpei or Yukari-chan needs help?"

"Yeah, sure." He did not seem to mind, and followed her request.

When Akihiko was gone from the living room, Hamuko closed the door and made her way back to the kitchen. "So…" She positioned herself next to the tall sophomore. "What's this about me avoiding you and the boxing club members? From the looks of it, I'll be interacting with you two on a daily basis."

Shinjiro let out a scoff. "Highly unlikely," he retorted. "Look, I'm telling you that it's dangerous."

"I'm hanging out with Mochizuki Ryoji."

His head whipped around to look at her. "You…" He gave a sigh, running a hand through his hair as he did so. "Do you have any idea why I warned you in the first place?"

Hamuko gave a hum as she looked at the boxes before her. "If the reason is the same for why I should avoid Akihiko-sempai and Ryoji, then yes, I do know. Don't worry; this kitten has claws of her own." She laughed. "Plus, there are more things I have to worry about than jealous girls."

She had a point.

With a defeated sigh, Shinjiro turned away from her. "Don't do anything stupid."

As she attempted to fix her hair, Hamuko blew a raspberry in his direction.

* * *

**4/20/07**

Morning assemblies were lame, everyone but Mitsuru would agree.

The gossiping at Gekkoukan was reaching a new high, and Hamuko was beginning to feel the pressure that Yukari was. Students were starting to notice her interactions with the SEES members, or actually, the popular students such as Yukari, Shinjiro, Akihiko, Minato, Ryoji, and Mitsuru. Sadly for Junpei, the only reason he got any attention was due to the fact that he hung out with them. He, of course, did not seem to realize this, and continued to bask in the attention that he was getting.

It was the beginning of lunchtime when Mitsuru walked into the classroom. She had specifically told them that there was going to be another meeting at the dorm, and she promptly walked out. Yukari immediately showed distaste, to which Junpei had called her out on. In the meanwhile, Hamuko made sure to explain to Minato that she was moving in with Junpei and Yukari. She felt a bit worried, as Minato showed some interest with her living in the dorm. There was a huge possibility that he may even attempt to move in, just because the three of them was there.

Fortunately, he seemed to lose interest in the topic later on, but Hamuko could not stop worrying.

That evening, Hamuko finished moving out, and the SEES members began to gather in the control room.

Ikutsuki came later, and Hamuko caught Shinjiro bristling nearby.

"Okay, now that everyone is here, I would like your undivided attention," Ikutsuki spoke up. "For a long time, Mitsuru, Akihiko, and Shinjiro were the only Persona-users we had, but that number recently jumped to six. Therefore, starting tonight at twelve, I would like to commence the exploration of Tartarus."

"Tartarus…?" Junpei's face scrunched up. "Sounds like some kind of toothpaste."

Yukari looked at the cap-wearing freshman with perplexed expression. "You mean you've never seen it?"

"What are you talkin' about? Seen what…?"

"Do you mean the tower?" Hamuko asked Ikutsuki, causing everyone to look at her. "After I moved here, I saw it a few times when I looked out the window; it's really hard to miss."

"I'm surprised, it seems you're ahead of the game." Ikutsuki looked pleased. "That tower is in fact Tartarus. It only appears during the Dark Hour. Tartarus can also be considered the Shadows' lair and is the origin of where they come from."

"Is there significance to the tower's name?"

"Pardon…?" Ikutsuki questioned, looking about as confused as the rest of them.

Hamuko repeated her question. "I'm asking if the tower's name, Tartarus, has any significance to the myth. If I remember correctly, Tartarus is in fact an area that is located at the deepest pits of the Underworld. It is a place of punishment for the gods, the titans, the Hecatonchires, and humans."

"Your extensive knowledge is quite impressive," Ikutsuki praised. "Not many would take the time to study and memorize Greek mythology, at least, not in Iwatodai anyway. As for your question, I don't believe there is significance between the two, but you can perhaps make some connections."

Hamuko gave a hesitant nod. "_That still leaves me with one question. Who named the tower 'Tartarus'?"_ Despite what Ikutsuki had told her, she knew there must be something more to that tower. She just needed information.

* * *

In a way, Hamuko found it frightening when she first witnessed Gekkoukan bend and tower over her. Tatarus was large, massively, and it stretched towards the sky so high that she thought it would tear open the moon. Yet despite Tartarus' grotesque appearance, and Junpei's initial reaction to it, she found herself quite charmed by the interior design of the lobby. Something was always moving, repeating, catching her eye and memorizing her. In the background, she could hear the faint yet continuous clicks of a ticking clock.

"Are you sure we can walk through that thing? I mean…there's nothing behind it!" Junpei exclaimed. The topic was the golden circular door at the top of the stairs. True to Junpei's words, when Hamuko circled around it, she saw nothing connecting to the back of the gate.

"It's fine," Akihiko said, not at all worried. "Shinji and I took a peak at it before."

"Now... Seeing that Akihiko is injured, he'll have to stay here," Mitsuru explained, giving the silver haired boxer a critical eye. "I'll be staying here as well, for support, which means Shinjiro will be the only one to accompany you three."

"Wait, so it's just us four going?" Yukari asked worriedly as Hamuko came over.

Shinjiro hefted his axe over his shoulder. "I'll be more than enough to handle the Shadows. Just stick by me, you'll be fine." Despite his words, Yukari showed no confidence.

"Before you guys go, we need to appoint a leader," Akihiko piped up, causing Junpei to perk.

"For reals! Oh! Pick me! Pick me!" Junpei's hand shot up, causing everyone to stare at him.

"Uh…" Akihiko was clearly hesitant, but nevertheless, wisely turned away to look at the others. "You're in charge."

Hamuko blinked rapidly, pointing to herself. "M-Me…?" Was he serious?

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?" Junpei had read her mind.

Yukari showed disbelief as well. "Are you okay with that? I mean, wouldn't Shinjiro-sempai be a better choice?"

In response to that, Shinjiro scoffed. "I don't fucking lead."

"Oh I get it, you're the brawn and not brains type."

"…You want to come over here and say that to my face Iori?"

"No, I'm cool, I'm cool!" Junpei laughed anxiously before turning to Akihiko. "But why her…?"

Mitsuru gave a smile. "Isn't it obvious? She not only fought Shadows before, but she has experienced the Dark Hour for quite some time and holds a rare ability to use two Personae." Her lips formed into a contemplative frown. "But the extent of that ability, I'm unsure of."

"Not only that, but can you guys summon your Persona without difficulties like she can?" Akihiko asked, taking a moment to pull out his Evoker and position the end to his head. "Summoning without a medium is difficult, but it does not mean an Evoker will make things any easier. Do you think you have the guts to pull the trigger in the middle of a battle?"

"Y-Yeah, totally!"

"I think so."

Akihiko did not seem to be satisfied with their answers. "These are Shadows we're talking about here, be prepared for the worst."

There was a nod from Junpei and Yukari.

"Are we done?" Shinjiro asked impatiently.

Hamuko looked off the side, she noted a familiar blue door. It was similar to the one she saw at Paulownia Mall. "_The Velvet Room."_ She looked at the others, who seemed to be paying attention to Mitsuru's last minute instruction. It was strange how no one seemed to notice the door. Did that mean she was the only one? If so, why her?

After Mitsuru had distributed some transceivers and the others' weapons, Hamuko, Junpei, Yukari, and Shinjiro entered through the door that sat upon the steps.

"Whoa!" Junpei fell backwards, his fake katana clattering onto the ground. "What the hell is this?"

"We're standing sideways?" Yukari crouched, her nails scratching the floor as her mind tried to get its bearings straight. She tightly clutched at her practice bow, afraid that she might lose it.

Hamuko let out a yelp as well, hopping to one side and had almost fallen off the platform if it was not for Shinjiro, who grabbed her arm. He let out a curse, taking a moment to embed his axe into the ground. "Be more careful, idiot! You're not going to fall, but if you keep that up, you will!"

"Well excuuuse me," Hamuko remarked, rolling her eyes. "It's not like I walk on walls everyday."

"Tch…"

"_Is everyone all right?"_ Everyone –except Shinjiro- jumped in surprise as they heard Mitsuru's voice coming from their receivers.

"Just peachy," Shinjiro replied sarcastically.

"Whoa…is that you sempai?" Junpei asked, talking into the microphone button that he pinned to his collar.

"_Yes. I'll be providing audio backup from here on out."_

"Wait, ya mean you can see inside here?"

"_It's my Persona's ability, but it's very limited. I can see and sense around your location, but I'm unable to pick up or send audio feedback, which is why I gave you all a receiver,"_ Mitsuru explained. "_While I would like to join you, I must stay out here. The structure of Tatarus changes day by day, but the floors stay the same. It is similar to a layered labyrinth, which is why my support is imperative."_

Yukari grimaced. "Wait, so how are we going to go past the floors we explored if the stairs keep moving everyday?"

"_This is just a field test for now. We will have to find out later, seeing as the Dark Hour does not provide us with much time,"_ Mitsuru answered. "_I don't sense any danger on this floor, so the Shadows should not give you much trouble, but proceed with caution."_

"Right!" Junpei grinned.

"_Your first objective is to eliminate every Shadow on this floor."_

"Wait a minute," Hamuko said, causing everyone to turn to her.

"_Is there something wrong, Shujinko?_"

"Where's the door…?"

There was an awkward pause before everyone turned to look behind them.

"What the hell?" Junpei shouted as he crawled across the floor. "The door's gone!" He was practically looking down the edge of the platform, trying to spot the entrance in which they came through. He turned to Shinjiro. "Where is it!"

Shinjiro glared at him. "Don't look at me."

"But I thought sempai said…" Yukari thought back to Akihiko's statement.

"We looked inside; we never went in," came Shinjiro's reply.

"Great, just great." Junpei sobbed. "We're trapped in here."

Hamuko could only laugh nervously at her friend's depression.

"_It's all right,"_ Mitsuru assured them._ "Theoretically, if there's an entrance, then there must be an exit._"

Yukari gave a groan and steadily tried to stand. "I would feel a lot better if it's a fact," she admitted while looking around.

"Quit moaning," Shinjiro barked as he pulled his axe out from the floor. "C'mon, we're wasting time." He let go of Hamuko. When it looked like she was not going to tip over the edge any time soon, he began to lead, going towards some nearby stairs that led downwards. The others followed hesitantly, seeing as the stairs had no railings and if they fell, they would continue falling into a stretch of yawning abyss.

When they safely reached the larger and main platform, Junpei nearly threw himself onto the ground in his relief.

"You think this place has bobby traps?" Hamuko questioned Yukari, who only shrugged, looking a bit worried at the mention. Despite Hamuko's question, it was quite a surprise to see that nothing remotely dangerous happened when the four walked through the distorted corridors.

"Ugh, I feel sick," Yukari remarked, looking pale as the group began walking down a hall that twisted around, making it look as if they were traveling across the walls and ceilings.

Hamuko nodded, feeling a bit queasy as well with the consistent twisting of reality and physics.

Junpei pointed off into the distance and asked, "Hey, what's that?"

The group followed his look, locating about three or four small black blobs.

Hamuko confirmed, "Shadows."

"…They look stupid," came Junpei's reply. "I sort of expect them to be bigger, ya know? Like the one you fought."

"Shut up Junpei, we are lucky enough that all of them are not like that!" Yukari snapped at him. "Stop trying to jinx us!"

"Alright, alright, you don't have to yell at me!"

Hamuko sighed.

She was at least fortunate that Yukari and Junpei saved their bouts when they were not in combat. The last thing she needed was to have half of her team arguing about trivial matters while Shadows attacked. Like Mitsuru had instructed, the group began to finish off all the Shadows they could find. Junpei being Junpei was always the first to rush recklessly into battle, to the annoyance of everyone. About half an hour later, his excitement died down as the stress of Tartarus and the Dark Hour came upon them. It was something Hamuko was not used to. She could last the Dark Hour, but having to go through Tartarus at the same time was making her feel exhausted.

Near the end of the hour, Hamuko had learned three things. The first thing she found out was what Persona her party members used. Shinjiro was an exception of course, as he was completely content with beating the shit out of a Shadow with his large axe. Junpei was more trigger-happy and the group had seen much of their fair share of Hermes. Io made a few appearances due to Yukari attempts to control her fear with shooting herself in the head.

The second thing she learned was how to acquire Personae. It was strange, yet simple, and she believed that Igor might have a hand in it. Whenever she –not the others- defeated a Shadow, cards would splay themselves out in front of her vision, invisible to everyone else but her. At first, she freaked. Then after calming down and allowing the cards to shuffle around with their backs to her, she picked the one with the image of a woman. The other cards disappeared and when the name Apsaras came into her mind, she realized that she obtained a new Persona.

The last thing she learned was that she was unable to call upon Thanatos. It started off with Junpei making a remark about using it to blast away some Shadows, but she declined summoning the Persona. It was a good thing too because she had later checked to see if she would be able to switch from Eurydice. It was fruitless, for she grasped at air and felt the absence of Death. It was like he was never there in the first place.

As the hour was meeting its end, Hamuko and the others were fortunate enough to find the exit. Using it, they found Akihiko and Mitsuru waiting for them outside.

"How was it?" Mitsuru asked.

"Freaky," Junpei remarked as the group walked away from the warp device.

Yukari gave the green teleporter a strange look. "You were right, there was an exit. But how did it get here? It seems a bit too convenient."

Junpei shrugged. "Who cares? We got out didn't we?" His shoulders slumped. "But man…I'm beat."

Mitsuru smiled. "That's to be expected, considering how long you were fighting. With a bit more training, you will learn to adapt to it. You all did better than I expected, if this continues, they'll catch up to you in no time Akihiko."

The boxer gave them all a challenging grin. "We'll see about that."

There was the familiar sound of breaking glass, and Hamuko felt time slow down. There were no words from her Persona, but she felt her strength renew. The presence of the Fool Arcana became more prominent in her mind.

"_That's 2…"_ She smiled.

"Hey, you comin'?"

Hamuko blinked, her mind falling back to reality, and she realized that everyone was starting to leave Tartarus before it disappeared. Shinjiro was waiting for her by the entrance to the lobby, staring at her with an impatient look. Hurriedly, Hamuko ran up to him, following as he led the way out. They walked down the steps, kicking up the blood water that pooled at the bottom.

"_**Hamuko."**_

She heard it again, her name.

Exiting the gate, she stopped and turned around. No one was looking at her, seeing as they were more interested in watching the disassembling of Tartarus.

Hugging her naginata close to her, Hamuko nibbled on her lip. Her red eyes dipped with worry.

Something was going to happen.

Just like last time.

* * *

Setton: I wanted to see more interactions between Hamuko and the others, so there was not much excitement here. The story is following the game now, but there will be some changes. I added another scene between Shinjiro and Hamuko because I believed that they should talk about her situation, considering that she ran past him crying. There will be more interactions with Minato, Akihiko, Junpei, and Yukari in the next chapter. Mitsuru would take a while. You know how she is.

I find it strange how the characters do not see the significance in the name of their Persona. The lessons from Edogawa prove that Greece and Greek mythology are existent in the game, yet no one seems to bother with it. I have an avid interest in Greek mythology and recently attended a class for it, so it was a bit frustrating to see these characters ignore the signs. Hamuko will notice more things, other than the name Tartarus.


	5. Everybody Loves Me

Setton: FINALLY! Three weeks of torturous schoolwork and I finally got to finish all twenty-three pages of this thing! Sorry about that, college is no joke.

**Siegmire**: Thanks for the review; I wanted to add some sort of realism to the fic by making the characters seem like teenagers from our dimension.

Anyway, here is the next chapter. I took the title from a song that I was listening to. And yes, the title is a play on Hamuko's relationship with everyone in the game, along with those who hate her. Do not look into the song too much for similarities.

* * *

Everybody Loves Me

**4/21/07**

Once again, everyone was pulled for another assembly.

"You okay?" Yukari asked, watching as Hamuko's forehead hit the seat in front of them.

"I'm tired," admitted the red-eyed girl, pulling back to sit straight. With a pout, she muttered, "Why the hell do we have to listen to another speech?"

"I don't like either, but this is about student council after all."

"They should just make the announcement from the PA room," Hamuko hissed before asking, "Student Council President? I thought you'd have to be at least a junior or senior to apply for that position…"

Yukari's eyes narrowed as she stared at the redhead walking up the stage. "Well this is Mitsuru-sempai we're talking about. She practically owns the school, so I doubt anyone can just say no to her."

Hamuko gave a small whine, whimpering quietly in her seat as the speech continued. Just why did they have to go to Tartarus yesterday?

…

Apparently, she was not the only one who considered the thought of passing out.

Junpei was just as tired as her, and politely declined coming with her to lunch. She did not mind it, seeing as Ryoji and Minato gladly followed after her. Ryoji -of course- had questioned about Junpei's fatigue, wondering what the guy could have done last night to warrant such exhaustion. Hamuko lied, promptly telling Ryoji that Junpei was probably up all night playing videogames. The scarf-wearing freshman accepted the answer and was later pulled away by a harem of girls once he acquired his lunch. Figuring that Junpei would be too tired to converse with them, Hamuko and Minato decided to eat their food by the persimmon tree.

By the time they finished, Hamuko decided to ask Minato for a favor.

* * *

After school, Junpei left the two to their own devices while he went to the dorm for a nap. Ryoji was going on dates, and Yukari was off to practice with the archery club.

Hamuko and Minato entered the library, earning some peculiar looks from its occupants.

"What book are you looking for?" Minato asked. His head turned to the side to avoid the stares.

Hamuko did the same, giving interest to the packed shelves and answered, "Greek mythology." She gave it another thought. "…I'm also looking for a book about tarot cards."

Minato did not seem to notice her pause and quickly moved over to the front desk. As he went off to ask about the books, Hamuko went exploring by herself. It was not difficult to find the mythology section, and she was grateful to see the amount of books that lined the shelves. She picked at many of them, pulling them out and looking at its contents. It was a quick skim, but she needed to make sure she had gotten a variety of myths, not just Greek.

Minato came back later with two books, one thin and one thick. He held them both up, revealing that he found a book on tarot cards and its meanings, while the thin book he held was a story of a pair of lovers.

The title "Orpheus" stood out.

"Oh thanks." She gave a shaky laugh as she took the two books and placed them upon her pile. Surely his choice could not be a coincidence.

He only nodded and helped carry the stack when she was finished looking.

"Is there a reason you're looking at these books?" he asked as they carried the large stack over to an empty table. The books were not overly thick with reading, so it should not take them more than two hours to look through them all.

Hamuko answered, "I'm interested. It was not a lie this time. I also want to brush up on my reading. It's been a while since I read these myths." As she began sorting them on the desk, she looked at him, surprised to find Minato reading the very myth he found for her. "Do you know about some of these myths?"

"I know the Greek myths and most of the other ones." He shrugged. "The story of Orpheus is my favorite."

Hamuko inquired, "Really…?" She then tilted her head. "If you ask me, I like Psyche's story. Well, I like every story, just mainly the ones that don't have a sad ending."

He looked at her in amusement. "Like Orpheus'?"

She nodded to his question. "That's right. I was sad when he did not get to be with his wife."

"They managed to get together in the Underworld though."

Hamuko scoffed a bit. "Yeah, that was after horny women ripped him to pieces!" she exclaimed. "Why couldn't they stay together even after he looked at her? I mean, it's only natural he would be worried if the woman behind him was not his wife."

"It's only a story," Minato told her as he flipped through the pages.

Hamuko looked at him curiously, pressing her arms against the table as she leaned over and asked, "What if it was real life? If you were Orpheus, what would you do?"

"…Look back."

"Exactly!" She grinned. Getting up, she reached over the table to pick up the book on tarots. Flipping through the pages, she stopped at the one that explained about the Fool. "Moving on…! It says here that the Fool is a protagonist of a story."

There was a light chuckle coming from Minato's direction. "Sounds like you, _Shujinko_."

She laughed at the irony. "Okay, so it says here that I go on a journey through life's greatest mysteries. The Major Arcana, represent not only human archetypes, but also the path I must travel on. Hmm…" Hamuko gave a hum as she thought about the information, and told Minato, "This reminds me of what Carl Jung said about mythology. Something about the characters being archetypes." Her eyes looked over at Minato, who closed his book and listened with interest.

"If you're the Fool, then who am I?" he asked.

"You're a Fool too." She pointed at him, laughing as she did so. "We can both be Fools. And it says here that the first person we meet is the Magician." Hamuko scratched her head. "Who's going to be the Magician?"

"Junpei," Minato said automatically.

"What…? Why?" She received a shrug in reply. "Okay then, he'll be the Magician." Flipping through the large pages, she made her way to the end of it. "It says here that the last card is The World, also known as The Universe. It is the end of the Fool's journey, where he gains enlightenment and a new understanding of the world around him. …But in the end, he reverts back to The Fool and sets off on a new journey."

"…Is it a journey for a new understanding? Or is it a journey to give back that knowledge?" Minato asked her.

Hamuko shook her head in confusion. "I'm not sure. The cards are following a cycle, but there could be plenty of meanings. What do you think?" she asked Minato.

He grew silent for a moment, his eyes looking down at the tabletop in contemplation. "I would like to think that he's going on another journey, where he can use what he learned to enjoy life more," Minato answered, his blue eyes looked up at her. "It would be meaningless for him to stop, even if he found the answer. Plus, what if he's not satisfied with the answer?"

"I can see where you're getting at." Hamuko grinned, taking a moment to look down at the page in front of her.

The World stared back.

She thought, "_If I didn't like the answer I was given, what would I do?"_ Hamuko flipped the page.

The two had spent about two hours messing around at the library. Despite what Hamuko first predicted, they did not get through every book. She partially blamed Minato for it, even though she was the one who would initiate the conversation. Whenever the two had come across an interesting story, she was the first to remark, whether it is witty or just hilarious. A few examples of the things they discussed were of Adam and Lilith, the stupidity of Alexander's choice during the beauty contest, and the weirdness that was Loki. Even if they had taken notes and discussed some of the concepts behind each figure and story, Hamuko found it much more rewarding when they took the time to criticize it.

After all, "laughter is the best medicine".

* * *

Hamuko yawned when she arrived back at the dorm.

"Where've you been?" The question was light, borderline amused.

Her red eyes scanned the living room of the dorm, not surprised to find Akihiko sitting in one of the chair's comfy seats. He held a beef bowl in his right hand, while the chopsticks in his left hand were pinched between his gloved fingers. The boxer was staring at her, as if expecting a response, his lips pulled up into a small welcoming smile. As Hamuko continued to examine him, she began realize just why Shinjiro had wanted her to avoid Akihiko in the first place. The silver haired sophomore was handsome, perhaps to the point where girls were throwing themselves at him, if they were not already. His shoulders were broad, not as broad as Shinjiro's, but she could see some stiffness around his collar, telling her that he worked out a lot. Akihiko was lean, but his efforts in building up his strength had given some bulk to his figure.

Looking back up, she pointed out. "You have something on your face." Ok, it was probably not her best response, but it was hard to ignore the bits of food that stuck around his mouth. Apparently her sempai was a messy eater.

His eyes widened, from alarm to embarrassment. Instinctively, his left hand reached up to wipe his face, but he stopped after realizing he was wearing his gloves. Akihiko's silver eyes roamed the table before him, looking a bit lost when he could not find a napkin anywhere nearby.

Hamuko laughed. "Hold on for a minute," she told him before she skipped towards the kitchen. Scouring through the cupboards, she managed to obtain some red flowery napkins, which she handed to the boxer on her way back into the living room. He took the napkins quickly, using it to wipe the leftovers from his mouth while Hamuko went to take a seat on the sofa.

"I...uh, sorry about that," Akihiko apologized after he placed the napkins onto the table.

Hamuko only laughed. "It's okay," she replied, waving him off. "Why are you still up sempai?"

In the next second, his flustered appearance was replaced with an expression of agitation. "Can't sleep," he answered with a sigh. "There's nothing to do now that my arm is busted. I can't train or anything, and I'm bored out of my mind."

"Mitsuru-sempai keeping you on a tight leash?" She grinned, watching as Akihiko used his chopsticks to stab at the leftovers in his bowl.

"Where'd you go today?" Akihiko asked, changing the topic. It seemed that he was dying to get away from his boredom.

Hamuko blinked. "I was with Minato at the library. Why, did you need something?"

"Sorta. I actually wanted to give this to you." Akihiko placed down his bowl and chopsticks in order to rummage through his uniform, which hung over the chair's arm. Pulling out an envelope, he got up and stretched over, allowing her to take it from where she sat. "That's from Ikutsuki-san." At seeing her confused face, he explained, "He wanted you to be in charge of buying supplies for us. I actually wanted to introduce you to Officer Kurosawa today, but Junpei told me you weren't replying."

"Oh. That's because I shut off my phone. I must have forgotten to put it back on after class." She grinned apologetically.

Akihiko did not seem bothered. "That's okay; just remember to introduce yourself to Kurosawa-san in the future. He works at the Police Station in the Paulownia Mall. He's aware of the Dark Hour, but can't walk around in it like we can. You can also purchase some weapons and armor from him since he provides us with the supplies."

She nodded. "I'll see if I can visit him tomorrow." At the end of her sentence, she let out a gapping yawn and flushed when she heard him chuckle.

"Tired huh? Well don't let me keep you up," Akihiko told her, before giving a wry look. "I'll find something to keep me busy…somehow."

Hamuko gave another yawn. "You sure, sempai?" she asked. Holding onto the envelope her hand hands, she shifted her position on the couch so that she could lay her head and arms flat on the sofa's arm. Her attention was towards him, but she could feel her eyelids droop every once in a while, her closed lids holding longer with each blink.

Akihiko frowned, as if he disapproved her behavior. "Yeah I'm sure. Why don't you go upstairs and sleep; after all, I wasn't the one who was running up and down Tartarus for an hour."

Hamuko let out an unintelligible murmur, so soft upon her ears, she was not sure he quite heard it. Whatever she had spoken, it became lost, and her eyes remained closed and heavy. She was hanging on the brinks of Liminality. On the losing side of wakefulness, she could feel someone shaking her shoulder, an action she did not respond to. There was the sound of a deep sigh before she felt herself grow lighter.

"_Someone is carrying me,"_ she thought as she could feel the constant shift of soft cloth and the warmth of someone's arms under her legs and around her the middle of her back.

"Just like Miki…"

Before the neighboring darkness consumed her, she wondered, "_Whose Miki…?"_

_

* * *

_

**4/23/07**

It was the twenty-third, and Hamuko was feeling a bit guilty. She never expected that her first run through Tartarus would be so exhausting and because of that, she possibly had missed Pharos' visit. He did not show up yesterday night either, so she figured that he was still trying to gather information on Igor's assistants or was sleeping it off, a reoccurring habit of his.

With quick work of her fingers, Hamuko proceeded to pull her hair up and tie it tightly, smiling when a few of her spidery locks fell over and spread across the top her head. Making sure she had everything she needed inside her bag, she picked it up and went out the door of her room. The halls of the dorm were quiet, just like every morning. Then again, it was not like this was a typical dorm.

When she got the lounge, she blinked at the sight of Akihiko, who was sitting in the chair from last night and drumming his fingers on the armrest in boredom.

As she got closer, he looked up and gave a small smile. "Hey, feelin' better?"

"A lot better," she chirped before cocking her head to the side, looking at him bemusedly. "What about you sempai? Still bored?"

"Yeah," Akihiko answered, scratching his head in embarrassment. "Usually I would wake up earlier than this and go out for a morning jog, but you know…Mitsuru." With a shrug, he continued. "I thought of walking with someone to school, but no one came down except for you."

"Everyone is probably sleeping in," Hamuko explained. Then she looked around. "Where's Shinjiro-sempai?" She had at least expected him to be an early riser. It looked like she was wrong.

"He's still sleeping," Akihiko answered and did not seem at all concerned. He then got up from his seat, taking a moment to pick up his uniform and slung it over his vest cladded shoulder. "Do you mind if I walk you to school?"

She smiled. "I don't mind. It gets kinda lonely anyway, seeing as Junpei never wakes up early enough to walk with me."

"O-Oh." Akihiko held a contemplative look, before speaking, "Let's go."

* * *

"Does Shinjiro-sempai usually sleep in?" Hamuko struck up a conversation as they began to make their to Iwatodai's strip mall.

Akihiko replied, "Yeah". His voice was laced with irritation. "Most of the times, he just skips his classes."

She was taken aback. Shinjiro-sempai skips classes? She never knew that, she had always thought he was a regular student, or at least, as diligent as Akihiko.

Akihiko questioned, "Surprised?" The boxer chuckled at her. "He's the type who follows his own rules. If it weren't for Mitsuru, Shinji would have avoided attending Gekkoukan altogether." Scratching his head, he gave a sigh, his eyes looking forward with a painted forlorn expression. "I can't really say I'm a good student either. I used to skip with him during our middle school days." He gave a deep laugh. "I remember how bored we were, sitting in those rooms while the teacher droned on and on."

Hamuko gave a hum, her lips twitched into a witty grin. "You're not going to give me a lecture about the importance of education are you?"

"If I did that, I would only be a hypocrite." He humored her, his silver eyes glancing at her before turning forward. Quite noticeably, he began to slow down and the smile that hung on his lips began disappearing. "Hey…" he trailed off before reaching for her arm. To her confusion, he pulled her closer to his side.

"What's up?" she asked before looking forward as well. There was nothing particular except for a man standing in their path, who –she noticed- was receiving looks of apprehension from nearby pedestrians. The stranger looked to be an old businessman, dressed cleanly, yet his stance told her something different. From the back, Hamuko thought his slouching was an indication of intoxication, but she threw away her skepticism as she and Akihiko came a few feet closer. There was a reason for the man's slouching, and it became apparent when he staggered during his slow turn. With his face turned to the sky, his eyes looked up, and he gave a vacant stare. His jaw hung down, mouth opened and unmoving, which allowed for a great deal of drool to roll from his gaping mouth.

He acted very much like those generical zombies.

"Isn't he…?" she trailed off and looked at Akihiko.

The silver boxer nodded and grimly confirmed, "He's an Apathy Syndrome victim and one of the Lost Ones. They aren't a threat in this condition, but you may never know if it's a Shadow in disguise." It was a warning, and his actions caused her to realize why he had tensed. "Most of the time, they aren't alone. At least some friends or family members would be nearby to keep them in line, but it seems this guy wandered off without them knowing."

They were in front of the Apathy victim now, but at a considerable distance due to Akihiko's paranoia.

Hamuko got a closer look at the pale man standing before them, then remarked, "He doesn't have black eyes."

"Huh…?" Akihiko looked at her.

She brought her hands up and pointed to her own eyes. "His eyes, they aren't black. Remember when I told you and Mitsuru about the monorail driver? When he attacked me, his eyes were black."

"That's because of the Shadows' influence." Akihiko told her, and then looked back at the victim before him, his eyes narrowing a bit in thought. "After becoming Lost Ones, the victims' eyes turn to normal, but Mitsuru and I have no way of knowing if the Shadows' influences are completely gone."

"Oh…" Hamuko said lamely. Looking at the victim, she titled her head a bit and asked, "What happens to someone after being affected by Apathy Syndrome…? I mean, other than blanking out like a zombie?"

Akihiko frowned at her, seemingly put off by her description of the victims. He did not scold her for the simile though. "They still retain their memories, but their thought process slows down considerably, to the point where they aren't aware of their own actions and cannot normally recall information…such as their names."

Hamuko's expression dropped, her chest pained as if her heart was being tied around into a knot. A feeling of sadness fell over her as she took another look at the victim. She could feel a connection between her and the apathy induced man. How awful it must be to live his life. If the man had any shred of coherent thought, he would have felt such an incredible feeling of loneliness and angst. To be trapped inside one's own mind, the fate sounded even worse than death. He would be unable to remember his life or those precious moments.

Compared to him, she was lucky to even have the chance to die with her memories intact.

The boxer spoke, "Let's go." Akihiko had yet to notice her inner turmoil and had nudged her gently. With the monorails to Port Island still being fixed, the two had to catch the bus to go to school.

Hamuko nodded slowly and gave the man before her one more look.

To her surprise, the apathetic man looked back. She blinked in disbelief, but it did nothing to change what she was seeing. It was a slow movement of the eyes, but she did not doubt that the victim was looking at her. His lids widened marginally, as if a flash of recognition hit him, but she had no time to process that fact before she was nearly scared out of her mind.

"MONSTER!" boomed the ailed man, frightening not only her, but some pedestrians walking by.

They all jumped and even she took a step back. To the left of her, Akihiko had literally leapt at the sound of the yell, looking very much like a cat who heard a gunshot. His face showed bewilderment, hesitance, and alarm. Perhaps she had the same look as he did, and she quickly wondered if the man was going to attack her.

He did not.

Mimicking the actions of everyone around him, the man jumped back, but his brain's ability to process his actions were nonexistent, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground with a painful thump. Everyone watched with strange fascination and disturbance as the man attempted to crawl backwards, but was only able claw through the air with his hands and feet, like an overturned turtle or struggling cockroach. His mutterings of "Monster, monster, MONSTER!" continued and no one looked ready to approach.

"Monster…?" Hamuko breathed, her heart thumping as she mulled over the meaning. Ahead, she could see a woman and another man quickly approaching, family members of the victim she assumed.

Akihiko's hand clasped her shoulder, and she looked at him. "Hey, you okay?" he spoke softly.

"Is…" She swallowed and watched as the couple helped the incoherent man. "Is that a normal reaction?"

"No." His fingers clenched. "Not at all…"

* * *

Ever had those moments where you just needed a hug?

Hamuko was having a moment right now. Too bad she would not be getting any remedy from Akihiko (not that she want it), but clearly physical contact between them would result in awkwardness and potential homicide from his fans.

Still, she needed a hug, but she was not going to get one from Junpei or Minato because it would also be awkward. They were still in the process of the becoming-best-friends stage, so any hugging there would only result in disturbance and endless questions, or in Junpei's case, constant flirtation and ego buffing. Hamuko had considered Yukari, but the girl fell under the same stage as Junpei and Minato. The idea of turning to Ryoji had flown out the window, considering his rabid fans.

"Guess what I heard~?" Junpei sung as the four of them settled inside Ms. Toriumi's homeroom. "Supposedly some guys caught you walking to school with Akihiko-sempai this morning."

To her right, Ryoji quickly looked up and his arm jerked, accidentally hitting Minato in the process. The motion caused Minato to pierce his orange with his thumb, and Hamuko could only raise an eyebrow when Minato glowered in Ryoji's direction.

Looking back at Junpei, she frowned. "Yeah I was walking with him this morning; I don't see why it's anyone else's business." Just what was wrong with this school? It was almost like it was everyone's job to pry. Gekkoukan sure had a way with students turning paparazzi, and she wasn't even famous!

"Nyah…!" Stupidly, Junpei made the motion of pawing the air with his right hand. "Methinks you're being defensive. Is there something else between you two?" His grin kept widening.

She gave him a dull look. "Sometimes, you act so much like those fan girls."

"Ewwww! Hamu-tan, just…ewwww!"

She gave a snort, ignoring his gagging gestures.

Ryoji blinked before asking, "By your reaction, I take it that you and this Akihiko-sempai aren't together?"

"Of course not!" she shouted, her hands hitting the table. "He was bored and just wanted something to do, so he offered to walk me to school!" With a sigh, she leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. Groaning, she asked them, "Why are people even talking about us? And don't tell me it's just because he's popular."

"I dunno know what to say." Junpei shrugged. "He's a chick magnet, and you know how girls are…no offense." He held his hands up. "There's nothing much to do at school, but talk about rumors and classes."

"I can see that," Hamuko muttered dryly, realizing what they had been doing for the past few minutes.

"Are you going to tell her about the other rumors then, the one about her?" Minato piped up as he finished pealing his orange. Hamuko's interest rose and from what she could see, the little information between Minato and Junpei was supposed to be a secret.

"DUDE! Minato!" Junpei freaked. "Not cool!"

Ryoji looked confused. "What rumors? Why is it that I'm the only one who doesn't know about this?" He had hurt look on his face.

"You aren't the only one," spoke Hamuko, who fumed. "Okay, hit me with it, what are they saying about me now?"

"Well they aren't exactly rumors," Minato commented before looking at Junpei.

The Magician gave a sigh before digging through his pockets. "Here." He pulled out some photos and gave it to her.

Ryoji tried to get a look, but frowned when Junpei turned it away from him. Hamuko reached over and took them, taking a moment to stare at the photos.

Hamuko spoke, "They're…me." She looked confused, not really sure what she should be worried about. As she continued to go through them, her face turned redder. "W-What…?"

"Some pervert is going around taking photos of you and selling them off," Junpei remarked, looking disgusted. "Believe it or not, you're really popular with the dudes here. I tried to find who did it, but no one is fessing up."

"…" Hamuko did not hear him, seeing as she was too busy looking at the pictures. Picking out one of the photos, she held it towards the light and grinned. "I really like this rear shot."

Her reply was unexpected, and Junpei sputtered, "C'mon! I'm trying to be serious here! What they are doing is harassing you!"

"May I see those?" Ryoji asked and Hamuko handed him the photos without a second thought.

While Ryoji and Minato took a look at the pictures, Hamuko turned to Junpei. "Calm down Junpei, it's not like this is such a big deal. They're only pictures and it's not like I'm doing anything illegal." In fact, most of the pictures were shots of her face, bust, and ass. It was perverted indeed, but she lost most of her initial shock after realizing she had nothing to worry about.

"Nothing to worry about…? They're stalking you! Isn't it disgusting? For all you know, guys could be jacking off to this!"

"Then let them," Hamuko said simply, causing her friend to gawk. "It's not like this person is out to hurt me, probably my reputation but meh…" She gave a shrug. "Who really needs that anyway?"

Junpei glowered. "You probably don't care, but I do! I'm going to find the guy who did this and pummel him to the ground!" He gave her a redundant example by punching the palm of his left hand.

Touched by his blatant, Hamuko could not help but smile. "Alright, you do your thing and I'll do mine."

A familiar feeling of refreshment fell over her, along with the sound of crashing glass.

"_You have established a link with the Magician Arcana."_

Magician…

Hamuko felt like she was forgetting something.

* * *

And here she thought Junpei was furious.

Yukari was just plain RAGE.

"I can't believe this!" Yukari hissed as she pulled back the string of her bow.

Hamuko gave a wince as Yukari let go of the string, allowing the arrow to slice through the air and impact the target ahead. Despite the deadly shot, it did nothing to satisfy the light haired brunette, who gave a huff and put down her bow.

"I can handle rumors, but this….?" Yukari screeched, turning to look at Hamuko, who was delicately sitting on a bench nearby. "How can you be so calm?"

The red eyed girl gave a shrug. "It's just a bunch of pictures."

"Yeah." Yukari scoffed and rolled her eyes. "A bunch of humiliating pictures of you! Isn't it scary, knowing that someone is following you around and doing this?"

"Junpei asked me the same thing."

"That's a first." Yukari snorted.

"_You two act so much alike."_ Hamuko smiled nervously. "Well, don't worry about it. Junpei said he's going to find out who did it."

"Good." Yukari only looked mildly satisfied. I think you should tell this to Mitsuru-sempai. If she finds out, she might want an explanation. Ugh."

There goes that tone again. "You don't like her?" Hamuko asked, curious. A few times now, she noted Yukari's apparent distaste for their redheaded teammate.

Yukari recoiled before shamefully answering, "I-I…no. It's just…something doesn't feel right about her. Ever since I joined S.E.E.S., it's almost like there's something she is purposely not telling us."

"We all have our secrets."

"Yeah…but…" Shaking her head, she replied, "Never mind, I'd rather not talk about it now." Picking up her bow, Yukari began to practice again. "Oh yeah, I wanted to ask you. Have you seen Yamagishi-chan lately?"

Hamuko inquired, "Who…?"

"Yamagishi," Yukari echoed, looking over. At seeing the blank response, she elaborated, "Yamagishi Fuuka? The girl who sits at the back of the class, right near the window? The shy girl...? The one who has green hair?"

"Ooooooh….!" Hamuko exclaimed in realization, earning an eye roll in response. "No I haven't seen her, why?"

"She hasn't been attending class, which is weird," Yukari commented, her brows furrowing in worry. "I was walking by the Faculty Office a few days ago and heard Ekoda-sensei complaining about how her parents didn't inform him of her absences."

"Do you really think she's sick?" Hamuko asked.

Yukari shrugged. "I don't know. If you ask me, she doesn't seem like the kind of girl who would ditch school. No one else seems to notice…or care much about her disappearance either."

"So you're assuming something has happened to her." Hamuko raised a brow. "Are you worried that it may be a Shadow?"

Yukari's face formed into a concern expression as she answered, "I sure hope not. Maybe I'm thinking too much on it."

"Maybe…" Then again, she may not be too far off.

* * *

That night, Pharos came to visit her.

"Are you sure?" Hamuko asked again as she pushed her bike forward.

Pharos looked over his shoulder and stared with his big round blue eyes. "Trust me, I know where they are." He was talking about Igor's assistants, who remained anonymous until named. She was a bit skeptical when Pharos told her about the location, but had no choice other than to follow him across the Moonlight Bridge, using her bike to cross the long path before Pharos met up with her at the end of it.

After her tiring journey, she found herself arriving at Paulownia Mall.

The doors were strangely opened, and she wondered if Pharos was responsible.

"Over here." Pharos pointed towards a queer looking shop, his feet echoing across the eerie mall. She followed after him of course and took a moment to place her bike on a nearby wall. Pharos waited by the door, watching with interest as she approached the shop and placed a hand on the doorknob. With a simple turn, there was a click of the hinge giving away. Pulling the door opened, she entered the candle lit room with Pharos by her side.

There were shelves and cases, lots of them, many containing types of antiques, tomes, and weaponry.

"Welcome."

The voice sounded alien, holding almost an unearthly tone.

Amongst the silence of the shop, Hamuko heard it as clear as day.

Pharos greeted, "Hello again." He peaked out from behind Hamuko, smiling at the new occupant within the room.

Following his gaze, Hamuko could see a peculiar yet familiar woman. The yellow cat like eyes, pale bob haircut, and sleek blue dress was a brilliant reminder.

Hamuko's eyes widened and she breathed, "You're that woman from the train."

A frown overcame the stranger's features. "Please forgive me if I do not remember. My interest must have been elsewhere." She gave a small bow. "My name is Elizabeth, a prior resident of the Velvet Room; I -along with my siblings- reside here for study purposes. You must be our new guest, am I correct?"

Hamuko nodded. "If you don't mind me asking, what do you guys actually do?"

A new voice filled the room. "I work with crafting Personae into weaponry." Out came another pale haired woman from the back room. Her arms crossed in front of her chest, and she regarded Hamuko with a mature aura. "I am Margaret, the eldest. Elizabeth is the middle child." Her lips pursed before she ordered. "Little brother don't be rude, introduce yourself to our guest."

"My apologies."

Hamuko jumped and whipped around, looking surprised to find the tall man –from the train- standing behind her. His eyes were no longer molten, but it held a softer tint of yellow, with a slight gloss as the lights from the candle flickered across his eyes.

Pharos seemed to find some sort of amusement from the man's appearance, yet said nothing.

Theodore bowed to the slightly apprehensive Hamuko. "I am Theodore, the youngest of my siblings. You may call me Theo. I, along with Elizabeth, work with the Demonic Compendium." Standing straight, he held up the thick tome in his hands. "To put it simply, Elizabeth and I are recorders. Our job is to copy the characteristics of your soul and enable you to recall them."

"What…?" Hamuko looked confused.

Elizabeth elaborated. "As a Wild Card, your soul has a large number of characteristics. These characters are Persona, parts of your soul which you call forth to do your bidding. Igor-sama's power grants him the ability to take your Personae and fusion them into a new soul. However, upon the creation of a new Persona, the ones used are pushed back into the recesses of your mind. You will begin to notice the difficulty of calling them, which is why my brother and I are here."

"Should you wish to ease the difficulty of summoning an old soul, you can come to us," Theodore spoke.

"Oh, I get it now." Hamuko nodded, the knot in her mind began unwinding.

"Now that we have explanations put aside," Margaret cut in. "It would be nice to know the name of our guest."

Hamuko smiled. "Shujinko Hamuko. Just call me Hamuko."

* * *

**4/24/07**

Fortunately for Mitsuru and Ikutsuki, S.E.E.S was free for another run in Tartarus.

Much to the dissatisfaction of Akihiko, he –once again- was left out from their exploration, and Shinjiro took his place in the party.

"_Our objective for tonight is to reach the next block,"_ Mitsuru spoke over the receiver.

There was an audible groan coming from Yukari's direction, which –fortunately- went unnoticed by the stern redhead. It seemed like everyone was ignoring Yukari's complaining and over speculations. Hamuko tried not to follow the rest of the bandwagon, and remained open to ideas, feeling that Yukari should at least have someone to confide to.

"Stupei, stop messing around!"

"Hehehe, this is so COOL!"

"Here we go again," Hamuko muttered as she watched Junpei brazenly swing his new katana around. She had recently taken the time to meet with Kurosawa-san, as Akihiko had requested of her. The policeman was a kind man, but had a tendency to be stiff, and she really did not take the time to get to know him.

And from the looks of it, it seemed Junpei was the only one who was ecstatic with his new weapon.

"Tch…" Shinjiro made a grunt of disapproval when Junpei's antics caused the katana to clatter to the floor.

"Junpei!" Hamuko shouted, peeved. "There better not be a dent in that sword! I spent a lot of yen on that thing!"

"It's fine!"

"We'll see whose fine in a minute," she said darkly, and then gave a sigh. Looking around the area, she asked Shinjiro, "Where do we go from here?" From what she could see, there was not much they could do. From their spot by the teleporter, she could see past the edges of the floors, where a never-ending abyss waited below them. Their platform did not seem to go on for that long, and seemed to be cut off from their main route. It never used to be like this, but she could expect it to change every time they enter Tartarus.

When she got not answer from Shinjiro, Hamuko decided that it would be best to continue looking through the half-cut maze that they were left with.

"What the hell…?" Junpei blinked owlishly as they came across a lone Shadow in a hallway. It did not seem to notice them, and Hamuko seized the moment to examine the creature. It was a hand, not at all surprising since the group had their fair share of beating up magical hands. No, what was more interesting was the color and size of it. The crawling limb was huge! About the width of her, Yukari, and maybe Junpei put together. Its height seemed to tower even Shinjiro's stocked form.

Yukari questioned, "Is…is that gold?" …And nearly snapped her bow in half at the sight. Rather than the consistent sickly grayish-black look of regular Shadows they had come across, this Shadow had the sheen of gold.

At first, Hamuko could not believe it either.

During their stunned gawking, Mitsuru took the moment to analyze the Shadow. "_Strange…I would have expected something more powerful...but it seems that this Wealth Hand is even weaker than the Shadows we've encountered."_ Once again, Mitsuru was making it a habit of naming every new Shadow they came across. It was sort of hard to believe that she was taking note of all of this.

Shinjiro looked skeptical, and gruffly asked, "Is this shit real gold?"

Mitsuru answered, "_From the looks of it, I would assume, but I have no way of determining."_

"From the way it's bending, I doubt it's real," replied Yukari.

Hamuko was inclined to agree with her, but then again, this was Tartarus.

Gripping her naginata tightly in her hands, she looked at the others. "Okay everyone; get ready to back me up."

After they nodded, Hamuko took the lead and quietly tiptoed her way towards the large walking hand. She charged after she got closer, her naginata held high into the air as she attempted to swing it down for a hit. To her satisfaction, the blade smacked into the Wealth Hand, cutting deeply till black fog oozed from the wound. The Shadow let out a shrill Noise, sounding painfully similar to a scratch disk.

With a grunt, Hamuko tried to dislodge her weapon from the writhing hand, but let out a yelp when she was easily lifted off from the floor and flung into a wall. She first lost her breath as her back collided with the hard object, and then her vision went. She had hit her head against the stone cold wall, and she could feel the pain blossom across the back of her skull. For a second, she had almost thought that she was bleeding, but figured that it was simply the cold seeping in to cool her burning head.

"Io!"

The headache she had gotten was disappearing slowly, till a dull numb was all that was left.

Yukari approached. "You okay?" Her face expressed worry, like always.

"Just peachy," Hamuko commented, mimicking Shinjiro's words from their last Tartarus run. Yukari did not seem to find it funny, and she looked ready to smack some sense into Hamuko.

"Dammit! Stop moving!" Junpei's shout caused the two girls to look over.

The Shadow showed surprising dexterity, despite its size and the wound Hamuko had dealt it. With every wild swing and turn, Junpei would constantly miss, falling to the ground with gritted teeth as he attempted to hit the jumping hand. His repetitive failure seemed to be taking its toll, and he began barking at Shinjiro, who decided to not even try fighting it.

Shinjiro gave Junpei a disgruntled and annoyed look. "Do you really think I can hit that thing with my axe?" It was a good point, seeing as Shinjiro was just as slow with an axe when using both hands. Of course, like a stubborn mule, Junpei would not let the topic drop.

"Stop fighting guys," Hamuko scolded them once she and Yukari came over. Junpei shot her a scalding glare, but softened up instantly when he realized what he was doing.

With the painfully obvious sag of his shoulders, Junpei apologized, "Sorry 'bout that."

He reminded her of a puppy, and she found it hard to stay mad at him. "It's okay. It's not your fault that thing's annoying." She was directing the fault towards the Shadow, and was satisfied when the boys seemed to drop their animosity for each other.

Turning to look at the Shadow, she frowned when she saw no Wealth Hand in sight. The others seemed to notice as well, and Junpei looked disappointed that the large creature had escaped. Yukari was not keen on looking for it, and Hamuko agreed. They had already wasted some time gawking at the discovery of the Wealth Hand, and she did not want to stay on the same floor any longer, not when time continued ticking. So with a command, the group continued moving through the small labyrinth.

It was not long before the group came upon the other side.

Off in the distance, Hamuko could see the main platform, where a long set of stairs came up from one of the rooms and twisted up to the green sky of Tartarus. At the top of the stairs would be a door, which they would have to enter if they wanted to get to the next floor. In the meanwhile, they had to figure out how to get to the main platform. Not much thinking was involved, seeing as their answer was right in their faces.

"A Ferris wheel?" Yukari looked green. "You've got to be kidding me…"

To be exact, there were two Ferris wheels. They were large, perhaps the same size as the ones Hamuko would find at an amusement park. One of the wheels was elevated higher than the other, yet they were close enough together to create some sort of cog turning path. As Hamuko looked over the platform, she felt uneasy at the sight of the suspended rides.

As one of the gondolas came into view, Shinjiro attempted to open the door, but gritted his teeth when it did not let up. Not wanting to be pulled down by the moving car, he released the door and stepped back.

He informed them of their worst case scenario, "It's locked."

Junpei asked, "So how do we get over there?"

Hamuko chirped, "We ride the top."

They all looked at her like she was crazy, but after looking back at the path and thinking about Mitsuru's reaction should they not continue, the group jointly decided to go on.

"Okay, Yukari-chan is with me," Hamuko called, and her female classmate let out a breath of relief.

"Aww man!" The loud exclamation came from Junpei, who received a sharp glare from Shinjiro in return.

Turning back to the Ferris wheel, Shinjiro offered that he and Junpei go first; much to the latter's chagrin. Hamuko allowed them to go with no struggle, figuring that the two will be enough to give Yukari some courage to follow through.

As the gondola came down, Shinjiro and Junpei careful made their way on it. So far, it seemed safe.

"If you feel like your falling, summon your Persona!" Hamuko called down to them. Due to their inexperience, none of them had the power to hold their Persona out for too long. That meant flying was not an option, but a split second pull to safety would be enough to save anyone's life.

When she heard the boys' confirmation, she turned to Yukari and asked, "Are you ready?"

Yukari looked at her, then the Ferris wheel. With a sigh, she replied, "Ready as I'll ever be I guess…"

Hamuko would have offered her hand, but could not, seeing as one was holding the naginata and she would need the other to get a grip on the gondola. So with a fast heart, the two waited for the next car to appear. The car appeared and the two slowly got on top of it. At first, the ride was not so bad because they had suspensions to hold onto, but slowly they had to release them as the gondola was making its one eighty rise to the other side. The suspensions moved behind them, off to the side of the car during the motion, making it impossible for the two girls to hold onto anything. And as the gondola from the second Ferris wheel came up, the two made a mad dash to it.

Yukari slowly dropped onto the roof, her hands gripping it tightly. "I never want to do this again," she said, looking thoroughly freaked out. Her chest was moving up and down quickly, revealing how much the fear and adrenaline affected her, despite her strong front. Hamuko felt the same and slowly crouched onto her knees as well, gripping the roof like it was her lifeline.

The red eyed girl spoke, "Tartarus looks strange…" That was obvious enough, but Hamuko meant that it looked even stranger at such a height.

Yukari looked around as well, making a face at the floating platforms and upside down stairs. "Well, this is the Shadows' nest after all. If you think about it, the platforms, the clocks, and the stairs seem to be normal. It's weirder to find a human invention here." Spotting something in the distance, she pointed. "Look, there's even a merry-go-round!"

Hamuko followed her finger, spotting a small object rotating in the distance. "Hey you're right…" She blinked. Okay, that was weird. Now that she thought about it, there seemed to be plenty of human made inventions floating around. She saw some tops, tracks that looked like they belonged to a roller-coaster, and even a few mirrors. The items were perhaps even more stranger than the fact that Tartarus had a sky.

"_Well, the Underworld in the myth had a sky,"_ Hamuko thought. Since Tartarus was a place in the Underworld as well, she was not surprised to see such a connection here. She had been right that the name had some sort of connection to this tower, but it still did not tell her who named the place. Obviously, the person had to be someone known; else the title of "Tartarus" would have not lived on. Secondly, the person must have seen the inside of Tartarus before.

Everything pointed to Mitsuru. Gathering what she learned from Ikutsuki, Mitsuru was the first one to have known and seen Tartarus. Hamuko's suspicions on Mitsuru only increased after hearing about Yukari's doubts on the redhead.

Ikutsuki…and Mitsuru. They knew so much, while she and the others knew so little.

"You okay?" Shinjiro asked gruffly, as the two girls shakily stepped onto the main platform.

"Sort of," Hamuko answered, laughing nervously. "I'm completely shaken." She could literally feel the strain on her legs as she attempted to get up.

Shinjiro frowned and told her, "We won't be able to make it at this rate."

"I guess not." The red eyed brunette sighed, remembering that there were more stairs to climb. They had an hour to go through only-kami-knows how many floors. "Let's try to get as many done. Anyone got the time?"

Junpei quickly took a look at his watch. "We got forty-five minutes left, Hamu-tan."

With a nod, Hamuko twirled her weapon around before replying, "Alright, let's do this!"

* * *

"_I sense a strong presence on the next floor, be careful everyone."_

"Got it." Hamuko nodded, before turning to look at her teammates. Everyone had a look of exhaustion, which was not surprising, considering that they had to run their way up the stairs while ignoring a few enemies. With every Shadow they could not ignore, they fought.

At the state of everyone, Hamuko decided to call it quits for the day, despite the fact that they had yet to reach the top. With only ten minutes left, she doubted they could fight and go any farther.

Addressing everyone, she spoke, "Alright, we need to find the teleporter on the next floor. We're done here."

"Finally…" Junpei groaned. "Oh man…I'll be feeling this for weeks." He massaged his legs.

Hamuko grinned. "Well at least you have the weekend to look forward to." At the sound of that, a look of sweet relief fell across Junpei and Yukari's faces, even Shinjiro looked relieved.

Shinjiro spoke, "You're a slave driver you know that?"

Her red eyes sparked, and she gave a wink. "Mitsuru-sempai said that she wanted results, she'll be getting them. What, am I doing a bad job?"

He took a deep breath, trying to get some oxygen into his starved lungs. "No, you're good," he replied, taking a moment to stand his axe and fix the beanie on his head.

The item complimented his tall and dark appearance. Rather than the light and brighter tones of Akihiko, Shinjiro was the opposite. The brunette seemed to prefer brooding colors, considering his coat (she had yet to return) when she had first met him. He was tall, taller than Akihiko and Minato, but not by much. Yet if she were to put Minato and Shinjiro aside one another, the difference would have looked astounding, despite it being a few centimeters. When she compared Shinjiro to her, he most definitely towered over her form.

Hamuko had also noted that his hair was longer than the majority of males she had seen around Iwatodai. She did not mind it, finding that the strands of brown shaped his angle face even more. It was certainly a different sight as well. His shoulders were also broad, even broader than Akihiko's, and it would make it difficult for her to look around his form, should she even try.

His eyes…were a hard brown, hidden in a way, as he would always have an expression of seriousness. Shinjiro's eyes were not soft, not like Akihiko's, Minato's, or Junpei's. But unlike the others, she believed that Shinjiro's eyes were his weak points. He had a tendency of averting his eyes, and she guessed that the beanie was used frequently to cover them. She did not know for sure, but she was curious to find out.

"You guys done?" Hamuko asked.

Junpei grinned, growing back into his energetic self now that he had some rest. "Yeah, we're good."

Getting a nod from Shinjiro and Yukari, Hamuko led the way towards the stairs. Once they reached the top, she opened the door that would lead to the next floor, and shut her eyes as a bright light engulfed them, like similar times before.

There was a pull on her form.

It felt like invisible hands were gripping her shoulders. It was a gentle pull, maybe even a push, but it something different that sent a red flag up in her mind. So she opened her eyes, finding herself staring down a long decorative hallway. Her sides felt strangely empty, and she looked back, realizing the problem even before Mitsuru had spoken.

"_You have all been separated! Shujinko, stay where you are, I'll direct the others,"_ Mitsuru informed before she went silent.

Hamuko frowned. It was not like she had anywhere to go. Even she knew better than to wander the maze known as Tartarus.

She stood there, for what seemed like minutes, growing worried as time continued to pass. "_C'mon…the Dark Hour is almost done."_ Hamuko urged.

The receiver crackled to life again. "_Shujinko, everyone has conjugated near the transporter. Please head there quickly."_

Once informed of the directions, Hamuko ran down the halls. Turning left down a corridor, she saw a door and entered it. Upon reaching the other side, her eyes crossed and her mind told her that she was tilting. She was standing upside down again, in a new room, which had quirky platforms floating every which way. She quickly held onto the door, taking a moment to gather her wits before going forward, down the stairs that were missing rails.

Almost there…she was almost to the other platform and would be on her way to meet up with the others.

Then, before she knew it, something hit her on the head.

"Ow!" She nearly teetered over, but luckily avoided a nasty fall. Reaching up, Hamuko brushed the side of her head in an attempt to soothe her wound. Her fingers paused when she felt something wet, and she pulled back her hand to look at it.

Red, the tips of her fingers were red.

"I'm…bleeding?" Her eyes widened. "No wait, how am I bleeding?" She felt around her wound again, wincing when the pain flared. She could feel several long lines, similar to a scratch, but the torn skin told her it was more than just a scratch. It felt as almost a razor had gone over her scalp.

She had been attacked.

With a glare, Hamuko ignored the blood that trailed down to her cheeks, favoring to defend herself now than worry. Looking around, she tried to find the perpetrator.

The receiver clicked to life. "_Shujinko, what's going on?"_ Mitsuru's tone held alarm. "_You're bleeding! Hang on; I will inform the others to aid you."_

Hamuko clicked her tongue, what a bad time to answer a call. "No, it's okay. There's not much time left. I'll meet up with you guys soon."

"_But you're hurt!"_

"I can treat myself," Hamuko replied stiffly. "Look, I won't be fighting, I'll simply run away. Just hang tight until then."

"…_Alright. Be careful."_

The red eyed girl smiled wryly. "I will." When the sound was cut, Hamuko took one more look at the skies before running down the steps.

It was her worst mistake.

Hamuko let out a yelp as she felt something grab and yank her hair, tearing some strands during the confusion. Surprised by the unexpected assault, Hamuko barely had time to right herself before she was pulled over the edge of the stairs. She gave a short scream as she over, her only free hand gripping wildly at the air. Her fingers caught the edge of the stairs, but she could feel the bones in her arm popping as they attempted to hold her weight. For a split second, she had a grip, then the next she lost it. Her limb could not hold her sudden fall, and she plummeted.

Her heart leapt, she could not even scream as fear clogged her throat. Through the stinging whips of her hair, she could faintly see the outline of black feathers above her before they meshed together with the dark scenery of Tartarus.

Mind racing, Hamuko pulled out her Evoker and held it tightly to her head. "_Eurydice! Eurydice! EURYDICE!_"

To her horror, even with the strength she had left; her Persona did not heed her call.

"_Thanatos…?"_ she called meekly. No answer. "_Apsaras…?"_ None…

It was happening again. She was going to die, like that time on the monorail. No one was here to catch her, certainly not Junpei, Yukari, Shinjiro, Akihiko, or even Mitsuru.

"…_So…this is it then…?"_

She heard the sound of cracking glass, but because of the wind, she could have imagined it.

"ORPHEUS!"

The shout caught her attention, as did the arms that slid underneath her back and knees. The falling came to a stop and after realizing it, Hamuko gave out a sharp breath, coughing when she realized that she had held her breath during the fall. When she finally got her labored breathing under control, she held a firm grip on her naginata and used a free hand to push aside her bangs. The sight of her savior shocked her.

"Minato…?" she whispered, only to realize her mistake.

It was not Minato, but the person very well looked like him.

The white haired copy looked down at her, his gaping red eyes softening, and she could see his dark lips forming into a smile.

In the back of her mind, Eurydice crooned.

* * *

Setton: I did this chapter quickly, considering that I did not want my audience to wait any longer. I still have homework to do, so I had no time to check for all the errors. If anyone finds any mistakes, your comment would greatly be appreciated. I have school tomorrow, who knows how long you will hear from me until then, sigh.

By the way, in this story, Tartarus has a sky with two abyss (one on top and one on the bottom). So even if Hamuko was upside down or right side up, she would still fall to her doom.


	6. 0 & 22

Setton: Yay, I finally found time to sit down and type up the entire chapter without a break. I had gone over to edit some minor stuff in the previous chapters, some grammar, punctuation mistakes and whatnot. I'll be sure to add those edits in later. School has taken a lot of my energy, so I have been catching up on my sleep this spring break.

Thank you to all those who reviewed, you give me the strength to keep going!

Also to let you know. After this story, I will be writing a Devil Survivor's fic as a request for a dear friend of mine. Considering that Overclocked is coming out in the future, I should be able to add both elements of the remodeled and original game into the story, seeing that PERSONA3L will most definitely take up a lot of time to wrap up and finish. I will also be dedicating most of my time to writing stories of the Shin Megami Tensei franchise.

I also thought of putting this story into the Megami Tensei category, but I do not see the point. I may never know when fanfiction net will decide to merge categories.

Once again, excuse my mistakes; I have the tendency to dismiss errors until I read it online. Anyway, please enjoy!

* * *

0 & 22

She had not noticed Minato below her, not until Orpheus had set her back onto stable ground. The Persona kept his hands on her, gripping tightly enough to stop her from slumping onto the floor because of the putty feeling in her legs.

Minato approached her, and she looked up. An awkward silence followed, and Hamuko found it difficult for her to converse with him. "So…uh…you knew?"

"Knew what…?" He looked completely confused.

Finding that she was a little too vague, she elaborated. "I meant… Did you already know that I was capable of summoning a Persona all along?"

She expected him to say yes.

Yet to her surprise, he shook his head. "No."

"So you weren't hinting anything…?" Hamuko asked again, her curiosity rising. "The time we were at the library, you mentioned Orpheus. You also labeled Junpei as the Magician." Now she remembered what was missing previously. She had almost forgotten that Minato had indeed labeled Junpei the Magician, which held truth when she considered Junpei's Social Link.

"I didn't know anything," Minato told her again. "I like the story of Orpheus because my Persona was modeled after him." His eyes turned to look at his alternate copy. "About Junpei…I was joking. I did not expect you to understand… I didn't expect you to be here either."

Hamuko felt Orpheus' grip loosened on her, and she noticed his form disappearing. She fell, but did not have to worry about hitting her knees as Minato came up to catch her. Hesitation filled her as her arms slid above and across his shoulders, slowly wrapping themselves around his neck. To anyone, it may have looked like a loving embrace, but the situation was all but romantic.

With his own arms wrapped around her waist, Minato slowly pulled her form up, making sure to take some strain off her legs while keeping her feet onto the ground.

Hamuko stopped herself from abruptly laughing, finding everything to be dizzying. With slight puzzlement, she questioned him, "Are you going to ask me anything?"

She could feel the turn of his head as he looked around. "Now's not the time," he told her.

He was right. The two were still in Tartarus and had little time to chat before the disassembling of the tower.

She tried to pull away. "We have to get to the others."

Minato's grip did not let up. "Others…?" He blinked.

"Yes, others." Hamuko gritted her teeth. "We have to run to the exit, or else we'll be trapped here."

"You're injured."

"I'll use a Cadenza on myself then."

"You can't even walk."

"Minato." She huffed. "If you don't let me go right now, I will summon Eurydice on you."

He looked at her, surprised…before she was met with a small smile. "Eurydice…?" he asked. Apparently, he must have found it humorous to know that she wielded a Persona with the name of Orpheus wife. "Does this make us a pair?"

"…A pair of Fools if we stay here any longer." She blew air into his face, taking him off guard enough to escape his grasp. Despite her momentarily tumble onto her knees, Hamuko quickly got up and began stretching out the kinks in her legs. Minato waited until she was done, and she smiled triumphantly when she was only left with some minor shaking in her bones.

"See…?" She grinned, hopping around. "I can walk."

Minato merely shook his head at her. "C'mon." he told her, walking off in the direction of another maze.

Hamuko blinked. "Wait; do you even know where you're going?"

Turning around, he walked away from her, backwards. "I've been here before." Minato answered. When he noticed her confused face, he explained, "I was looking for something."

"Looking for what…?" she inquired, jogging over to him.

He looked over her shoulder. "Them."

She paused in her walk, taking a moment to look back at the skies.

At first, she noticed nothing. Then her eyes caught motion, which directed her vision towards three particular flapping objects. From the distance she almost could not tell them apart, but was surprised at what she saw as they came closer. Black birds, dipped from head to toe with large inky black feathers. On the top of the birds' beaks was a purple mask, which covered the rest of the creatures' facial features.

They came quickly and moved silently. Hamuko could not hear the slice of wind or the ruffle of feathers, even with every flap the Shadows took.

"What…are they?" Hamuko asked, turning to look at Minato.

Minato grabbed her wrist, giving the birds a weary look. "Guardians. They won't be found anywhere but here." With no other explanation, he turned and yanked Hamuko after him. "We have to leave!"

It was like déjà vu all over again, with the whole crying fiasco. Only this time she was not crying, but was running like her life depended on it.

Hamuko looked back, gawking at the birds that entered the maze with them. "_Those birds, they were the one who attacked me."_ She realized before taking a moment to pull her Evoker out with her free hand. "Cadenza!" she cried, pointing the gun to her head and firing.

Apsaras and Eurydice appeared above her, soaring through the air as she continued to run. With a play from Eurydice's lyre and Apsaras dancing, relief fell over Hamuko, washing over her like cool water. Her wound itched irritably, a sign that the blood had clotted.

Looking up, she found Minato staring at her, a bit lost for words. Then, after a shake of his head, he turned away from her and continued running. The eagles were getting closer and neither Minato nor Hamuko wanted to engage the three birds. The only problem was that the Shadows were getting closer every second, due to the fact that they could fly.

Minato frowned, muttering, "They're going to reach us any second…"

Hamuko looked. "Fight…?"

Minato shook his head before letting go of her wrist, allowing her to run alongside him at her own pace. Now with a free hand, he dug into his pockets before pulling out a round object. Well, she thought it was round at first, but as she got a closer look at it she could see that the black item was in fact made up of a bunch of other jumbling blocks. It was like a rubix cube had exploded and had its clock stopped.

"Traesto." Minato held it between his fingers, showing it to her momentarily before enveloping it with his hand. He did not explain the importance of the object, much to her frustration. "Where are your friends?"

"They should be at the teleporter," Hamuko explained. "Considering how long it will take us to get there, I assume they are already on their way out the school gates."

"Good," replied Minato, before looking at the object in his hand.

With slight fascination, Hamuko watched as Minato hurl the object –with all his might- against the wall of an upcoming corner. The blocks of cubes shattered with ease, breaking into tiny black fragments that glittered in the light before its shine was swallowed up by black. From the effort it took, her attention was immediately caught, and she wondered if the cube was some sort of powerful object, capable of destroying the three Shadows behind them.

It was not.

With a yelp of fright, she felt herself picked off the ground. No, it felt like she was merely floating, rather than being yanked up by a mysterious force. To her right, Minato remained calm and collected as the two were lifted into the air; their forward progression was slowing to a stop, allowing the eagles to cross the huge gap of space fairly quickly. Just when Hamuko thought she was going to be dive bombed within the air, her vision went white, colors blurred out by fuzzy white splotches. It felt like she passed out, but that could not be right because she was still very much aware of her thoughts.

"What in the world…?"

"…!"

"H-Hamu-tan…? M-MINATO? What the hell?"

"Tch…"

"How did… W-What's going on?"

The white in her eyes were turning to black, and she could not see. It was like someone blinded her with a flashlight and moved it away. Her eyes twitched rapidly to adjust. Then, a cool hand fell over her face, covering her eyes.

"Close your eyes for a bit." That was Minato talking. "It should take about a minute or two for your eyes to adjust."

Following his instructions, she closed her eyes while he helped her up. With a wry smile, she spoke, "Hey guys."

"It seems you two have a lot of explaining to do." From the sound of Mitsuru's icy tone, Hamuko could picture the redhead with arms crossed and a stern expression.

Hamuko nodded slowly. "Yeah, I know. Don't worry; I have some questions of my own."

To the right, she could feel Minato's shoulder bumping hers.

* * *

Yukari was not a happy camper today.

At first, Hamuko thought she did something wrong, but figured that Yukari was merely angry at Mitsuru…as always.

So here they were, sitting at different ends of the room while Mitsuru explained the motive of S.E.E.S, the nature of Tartarus, and the Dark Hour.

At the end of the explanation, Mitsuru asked, "How long have you been aware of the Dark Hour?"

"Eight years," Minato answered, causing the group to shoot quick glances at Hamuko, just to see her reaction. She was not bothered as much as the rest of them, after all, she was used to the strange and unknown.

"Man…eight years," Junpei whispered, but it was loud enough where he could address his concern. "It must have been scary as heck when you were a kid."

Minato merely looked at his classmate, choosing not to say anything while Yukari shot him a look of sympathy.

"May we get back to the subject?" Mitsuru asked politely, but something about her tone made them flinch. "I would appreciate it if you would answer a few of my questions." More like demands. "How did you and Shujinko appear before the school gate? How many times have you traversed through Tartarus alone? And are you capable of wielding multiple Personas?"

Minato did not miss a beat. "I used a Traesto Gem." At seeing their confused looks, he explained, "They are sort of like a bunch of black cubes stuck together. By breaking it, you are capable of teleporting anywhere outside of Tartarus. In my case, I chose the school gate. The number of times I traveled through Tartarus would be four, and I also can use multiple Personas." He turned his head slightly, his hair parting away from his blue eyes as he glanced in Hamuko's direction.

"Extraordinary!" Ikutsuki remarked, his lips forming into a wide grin.

To Hamuko's left, Shinjiro let out an annoyed grunt. The sound caught her attention, and she turned to look at him in confusion. Upon seeing her look, he merely shook his head and turned away, keeping to himself once more. Hamuko frowned and turned to listen to Ikutsuki.

She had missed half of his rambling and only heard the end of his conversation. "…valuable to S.E.E.S." Ikutsuki finished. It did not take a sentence for Hamuko to understand what he was going on about.

Yukari immediately jumped up, nearly knocking Akihiko off his seat. "What!" Everyone looked quite surprised by her outburst. The light haired brunette flustered at the attention. "B-But isn't it a little too soon to be adding new members?"

"I don't see the problem." Akihiko chipped in. "The more the merrier."

Mitsuru nodded. "Not only that, but Arisato has a great potential, even more so than Shujinko. With him on our side, we should be able to double our efforts in acquiring information about Tartarus." Ouch…Mitsuru sure had a way with words.

"W-What about his feelings on this?" Yukari tried again. "I mean, we can't just force him without asking."

"Of course." Mitsuru agreed, before turning to Minato. "So how about it? Will you join S.E.E.S and help us defeat the Shadows?"

Despite Yukari's worries, Minato answered, "Sure."

Yukari fell back into her seat with a look of dissatisfaction. Her complaints went ignored as Ikutsuki took the floor.

"Normally a moment such as this would include a celebration, but I'm afraid that will have to wait." Ikutsuki chuckled. No one laughed with him, and he gave an awkward cough before continuing. "About our new teammate, there is another matter we should discuss. Considering Minato's abilities, I find that a change in leader should suffice. Clearly he has more experience than the rest of us in combat."

Mitsuru nodded. "I agree."

The decision was a blow to Hamuko, perhaps not a great one, but she felt a pang of disappointment and shame. She felt like the agreement was based on her inadequacy for earlier in Tartarus.

Even as the talk continued, Hamuko could feel the eyes of the other members. They were gauging her for a reaction, one that she refused to give. When they finally looked away, it was her turn to analyze them. There was no struggle with Akihiko, for he seemed to agree heartily on Ikutsuki's request. Shinjiro seemed to have stopped listening and focused on thinking, his eyes staring down at the creases in his palms. Yukari looked as if she had been wronged, and she sulked with her shoulders pinned close to her.

Junpei was probably the hardest to figure out. At first, he seemed really happy, greatly excited in having Minato join the group, but all that inflation seem to pop once leaders were changed. Even now, Hamuko could see a frown on his face. Every time Junpei turned to look at Minato, she would see him scowl, for a split second, before he continued to mull over his somber thoughts.

And for that moment, it almost felt like everyone was a stranger to her once more.

* * *

From her experience, every meeting within the Control Room was not a good one.

Yet she was grateful that everything afterwords would remain the same.

Hamuko let out a breath of relief as she exited the room with the others. To the left, Junpei was back to normal, congratulating Minato and offering exaggerated high fives. Yukari's worries seemed to vanish for now, and she offered a few smiles and snarly comebacks in response to Junpei's actions. Akihiko looked content and went ahead of them, going downstairs to the lounge in order to find something to eat. Shinjiro was Akihiko's shadow, only parting the moment they all reached the kitchen.

As Hamuko look back, she saw the stairs empty, with no sign of Mitsuru joining them. Ikutsuki did not follow either, and Hamuko believed the two stayed to discuss business.

She felt something against her neck, smooth, before the feeling of ice hit her. With a yelp, she jumped forward, placing her hand against the back of her neck as she whipped around to glare at Junpei. He was laughing at her; in his hands were two cold drinks of Cielo Mist.

"You should have seen your FACE!" He cackled, before turning and bringing his elbows up to block Hamuko's slaps. "Oh c'mon! It was just a joke, a little joke!" He was saying those same words from before.

"Try that again when I have my naginata, then it won't be a joke!" She growled, but was not exactly angry. Junpei simply smiled at her, offering the can he had placed against her neck. The annoyance she felt towards his actions vanished, and she took the soda with a slight smile.

"Where's Minato?"

Junpei rolled his eyes, but answered, "He's raiding the fridge."

The two walked into the kitchen and sure enough, found Minato raiding the fridge.

Off to the side, Shinjiro was leaning against the counter, giving Minato a look of annoyance. Upon seeing Hamuko, Shinjiro motioned for her to take Minato away, but sighed when she helplessly shrugged at the request.

As Shinjiro continued brooding near the wall, Hamuko took a seat at the table, giving a small smile at Yukari who was flipping through magazines. A while later, Junpei and Minato came over to sit down, joining the two girls.

"So…" Junpei started the conversation first. "Orpheus huh?" Minato had previously mentioned the name of his Persona during Mitsuru's interrogation.

"Yup…" Minato stressed the p with a pop.

Yukari looked up from her magazine in curiosity. "Isn't Orpheus a character from Greek mythology?"

In unison, Minato and Hamuko turned their heads to stare at her.

"You know about Greek mythology?" Hamuko questioned. She did not think Yukari was into that sort of stuff. From Hamuko's previous initiation, no one seemed to know anything about Greek mythology, with the exception of the chairman.

Yukari flushed as different pairs of eyes fell on her. With a shake of her head, she spoke, "No, not really. A few days ago, I went to the nurse office to get some cold cream for a friend of mine in the archery club. You know how Edogawa-sensei is also the school nurse right? When I got to his office, he started lecturing about magic and archetypes. The name Orpheus came up, and he told me that the guy was an important figure in Greek mythology, but I left before he could tell me anything else."

"Are you serious? You mean he's into that stuff?" Junpei remarked, his eyes wide.

"Well…yeah, I mean, he never shuts up about it. Ugh, you'll see what I mean when he teaches your class." Yukari sighed before shooting looks at the sub (Hamuko) and new leader (Minato). "Now that I thought about it some more, what's the story behind Orpheus anyway?"

Minato's lips parted as he asked, "You want to know?" Raising an elegant eyebrow, he continued. "It does not have a happy ending."

Okay, now Hamuko knew he was just making fun of her.

With a slight chuckle, Minato told them, "The story of Orpheus is about a pair of lovers, one –of course- named Orpheus, who was the master and creator of the strings, music, lyrics, and instruments. The other was his wife, Eurydice, who was either an oak nymph or one of the daughters of Apollo, the god of light. One day, a satyr…" Upon seeing Junpei and Yukari's confused looks, Minato explained, "A satyr is half goat, half man, often known for their…lewd hobbies."

Yukari looked disgusted, about as much as Junpei who replied, "Weiiiiird~!" He then blinked before questioning, "Wait, isn't Eury-something your Persona Hamu-tan?"

"Yeah. I know it's strange, but they're not the same as the characters within the story. Orpheus and Eurydice represent concepts, or a type of archetype, similar to Personas," Hamuko explained. She then looked over at Minato, urging him to continue the story.

He did not seem to mind, and spoke, "The satyr was attracted to Eurydice and pursued her. She tried to escape, but unfortunately stepped on a venomous snake, which bit and killed her." There was a somber look that fell across Junpei and Yukari's faces, and Minato let them digest for a moment. "When Orpheus found out his wife had died, he was distraught. He sang his sorrows to anyone who would hear them. The gods and goddesses wept at the sound of his voice and offered advice, telling him to go to the Underworld to find Eurydice.

Orpheus went to find her there and struck a deal with Hades, the god of the Underworld. Hades allowed Orpheus to leave Eurydice on one condition. Orpheus would have to bring Eurydice back to the surface, but he was to never look back at her until they left the Underworld."

Yukari looked saddened, murmuring, "I'm guessing he looked back."

Minato nodded. "The urge to look at her face was too much for him. Orpheus failed, and Eurydice was sent back to the Underworld."

"What?" Junpei gaped. "That's bullshit!" Obviously someone shared the same view as Hamuko, and she could not help but let a smile tug at her lips. "What happened to him then? He committed suicide or somethin'?"

Hamuko could not help but chortle, causing the three to look at her. "Wrong! A lot of people would have thought that, but he actually wandered around for a while, mourning." With an amused grin, she explained, "Orpheus was known to be a handsome man, and many women attempted to sleep with him. He refused all of them of course, considering his love for Eurydice."

"At least he's loyal to the woman he loves," commented Yukari, who looked impressed.

"Not true." Minato countered, earning confused looks from Junpei and Yukari. "Since his wife is dead and he refused to sleep with other women, Orpheus bedded men instead. That of course led to the women getting angry, so they raped Orpheus and ripped his body into pieces."

Junpei shouted, "What!" His expression fell between the borderline of shock and revolt. Even Yukari looked queasy.

"Maybe…we should change stories," Yukari spoke, giving an awkward laugh.

"Aww…" Hamuko pouted, earning her an amused glance from Minato. "Okay then, who you want to hear next?"

Junpei's hand immediately shot up. "Oh oooh! Pick me!"

The ruby eyed girl laughed at her classmate. "Well I can tell you some stuff about Hermes. He appears in all sorts of myths, and he was well-known for the story of stealing Apollo's cattle." Junpei looked disappointed at the lack of awesome storytelling. "Hermes is known to be all sorts of things, messenger, and a trickster, a patron of athletes, an inventor of fire, and a psychopomp. He helps lead souls to the Underworld, similar to Thanatos, which -I believe- would cause some tension between them."

"Thanatos?" asked Junpei. He gaped. "You mean that big freaky black thing you summoned to fight that one Shadow?"

Hamuko let out a nervous laugh as everyone stared at her. Even Shinjiro had put in the effort to look over. Had he been listening to them all this time?

"What are you guys talking about?" Minato asked, looking quite interested.

"Oh dude! You should have seen it!" There goes Junpei, blabbering again. "Before Hamu-tan joined us, she was fighting this HUGE Shadow! It completely whipped Akihiko-sempai's ass-"

"Did not!" came the boxer's reply from the lounge.

Junpei grinned widely at the reaction. "So anyway, Hamu-tan summoned a Persona that wore black and had a long sword, which it used to completely tear the Shadow to shreds! Maaaan, it was awesome! Though, I wonder why Hamu-tan hasn't tried using it again. It would sure come in handy."

"Junpei!" barked Yukari. "Don't you remember her fainting after that stunt! Why do you think she never tried using it in Tartarus!"

"Geez Yuka-tan, calm down, it's not like I'm ordering her to use it…" Junpei looked stunned.

Hamuko smiled wryly as Yukari began berating Junpei.

It seemed like everything was back to normal.

"_I'm glad."_ She was probably worried for nothing.

* * *

It was early, very early, and she wondered why she was walking around in the first place.

"What are you doing here?" Hamuko asked, as she entered the kitchen and peered into the lounge.

Minato rolled his head to the left, his cheek pressing itself against the top of the couch. He spoke, "I thought we were going to play '20 Questions'."

She gave a hum. "I didn't think you would remember, considering all that happened," Hamuko commented before going over to the refrigerator. Opening the door, she winced as the shine of light irritated her eyes. Luckily no one thought of keeping any ice cream inside the freezer, else it would have melted during the previous Dark Hour. That would mean she had nothing sweet to go on except for the soda, which would only send her running to the bathroom an hour or two later. With a sigh, Hamuko grabbed a health bar –was it Akihiko's?- and walked into the living room.

Minato was sitting up now, watching as she came over and dropped onto the couch across from him.

"About Thanatos," he spoke up. "What if I told you that I summoned him before?"

Hamuko, who had been peeling at the wrapper, paused for a moment before resuming her task. "I wouldn't be surprised," she answered, freeing her bar and taking the time to nibble on it. "You can fight, you know about the Dark Hour, you have the ability to summon multiple Personas, you can last longer in Tartarus, you can summon Thanatos, you're good looking, you have the smarts, you're my leader, you can summon Orpheus, and you know about Social Links. …I find it difficult to be surprised anymore."

Minato frowned and stated, "You're jealous."

"I'm not." She huffed, taking a bite from her granola bar. "Why would I be jealous?"

"I dethroned you."

"What throne are you talking about?"

"Hamuko-"

"Look _Minato_…" She paused with baited breath, peering at Minato's still and silent form. With a sigh, she continued. "I'm just anxious, maybe scared. I know that we weren't friends for long, but before all this…I knew you enough. Now that you're here, telling us –me- all this, I find that a bit frightening. It's like I never knew you at all or maybe it was all a lie."

He was frowning at her, disapprovingly. "I'm still the same. I like listening to music and eating food."

The statement was so blunt that Hamuko had nearly choked while eating. Her form shook, radiating amusement and laughter that she was trying to keep in. With a strained smile, she wiped her fingers at her lips, brushing away the crumbs at her mouth while she swallowed her food. "It's scary how much we are alike," she told him, laughing as she did so. "The look on your face was hilarious!"

Minato's expression softened and he offered her a slight smile before it disappeared behind his bangs. He was looking down at the floor, giving her a clear view of his whole head.

Taking off her shoes, Hamuko carefully brought her knees up and pressed them against her form. When she was sure that her skirt was modestly position, she asked, "Why did you agree to become our leader?"

"I was going to ask you the same question."

"Minato…" she said his name in warning.

"I thought you didn't like leading…" he told her. "Most girls don't."

"So you agreed to take my spot because you thought I didn't like it?"

"Pretty much…" He shrugged at her.

She frowned. "I didn't think you like leading either…"

"I don't."

"But it was for me right?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"I don't know." Well that was a first.

She smiled slightly. "You're not falling in love with me are you?"

He looked up at her, lips turned up in amusement. "That's just your ego talking."

* * *

**4/25/07**

Fuuka Yamagishi was absent today. It was hard not to notice, considering Yukari's concerns from before.

"Shujinko-san, may I speak with you for a moment?"

Hamuko stopped walking, taking a moment to blink at the tall male who stood before her. He was pudgy and looked a bit out of shape, despite the fact that he was the P.E. teacher for another class. She did not know him personally, but knew her own instructors were at odds with the weirdly intense man.

"Yes…?" She turned to question him.

"Please come with me to my office. I would like to ask you some questions regarding some photos," he spoke gruffly, giving very little care to what her agenda was. In fact, his entire approach screamed rude. He was practically telling her to march into his office without explaining the situation.

"Photos…? What photos?" Hamuko asked him. Did he mean the ones Junpei showed her?

The P.E. teacher frowned deeply, expressing his obvious distaste for her questions. "Do not play coy with me. I'm very well aware of your distribution of these photos. How disgraceful to see that little front of yours is just an act. Do you really think you'll get away with bodily advertising? This is Gekkoukan, need I remind you. You will need to come with me to my office, where I will write you up for your little stunt."

Hamuko snapped. "Excuse me?" Was the situation that bad? "I'm sorry sensei, but you do not have the authority over me. If you have a problem, isn't it your job to report to my homeroom teacher?"

He turned red with rage. "So you do admit to advertising prostitution!"

"I admitted nothing!" Hamuko nearly screamed. "I am not doing prostitution or even distributing any photos! I have nothing to do with it AT ALL!" She could handle people talking behind her back, but this? Just why was this teacher (who was not even Ekoda) bitching to her about indecent exposure? What proof did he have that it was her doing on purpose? Something did not add up.

"What's going on here?"

Hamuko turned her head, wanting to know who was wandering the halls of Gekkoukan while everyone else had disappeared to do their own thing.

Another student, male, with slicked back pale hair walked up to the two. Standing by Hamuko's side, he addressed the situation. Considering his crossed arms, straight stance, neatly tucked in uniform and hard glare, he meant business. It was strange in a way, considering Hamuko never saw a student who dressed or looked proper before, unless she counted Mitsuru.

"Odagiri?" The P.E. teacher looked even more annoyed at the interruption.

"Excuse me sensei, but I could not help but to overhear," Hidetoshi drawled. "Allow me to offer you some advice. It would be best if you'd withdraw your accusations until you have substantial proof that Shujinko-kun has been prostituting." He raised an eyebrow at the teacher. "…Do you have any proof?"

"…"

"I see." Hidetoshi shook his head disapprovingly. "In that case, you are wrongly accusing her of some problem she may or may not have been aware of. As Shujinko-kun has pointed out, if you have a problem, meet with her homeroom teacher. Now…is that all you wish to speak about sensei?"

The teacher looked frustrated and completely embarrassed. Giving both students the critical eye, he remarked, "Don't think I'll let you students get away with this."

Hidetoshi looked amused; a smug smile fell across his lips. "Get away with what, sensei? I'm merely stating the facts. With so many discrepancies, you cannot simply put the blame on her." Turning around, he looked over at Hamuko, motioning for her to follow. "If you'll excuse us sensei, we'll be going."

Hamuko gave the fuming teacher a bow, more of a mock than anything, before she stood up and turned around to follow the other Gekkoukan student.

Looking over to him, Hamuko muttered, "Thanks."

Hidetoshi glanced at her. "It would be best if you avoid that man for a while."

Slowing down in her walk, Hamuko stopped and cocked her head. "What…? Why…?"

He looked at her with what she guessed was exasperation. "It seems you don't know why he has his eye on you."

"…Considering your slightly disturbing reply, I can probably guess why," she replied, rolling her eyes. "Way to make a girl feel safe."

He grinned at her, amused. "My job is not to comfort you. I suggest you run to your friends for that." With that said, he turned around with the intent of leaving her.

"Hey wait!" she said, alarmed.

He gave an audible sigh before turning to look at her. "Yes?"

"What's your name?"

Hidetoshi blinked, looking a bit surprised. "My name…? ...Not many consider asking. Odagiri Hidetoshi."

She saluted him and smiled. "Shujinko Hamuko! I'm a freshman here at Gekkoukan High School," she spoke.

"Same," he commented before walking away. "Enjoy your year here, Shujinko-kun."

Hamuko beamed.

* * *

**4/27/07**

After Minato's move into the co-ed dorm and the restoration of Iwatodai's monorail, things had pretty much returned to normal in Hamuko's opinion. Maybe normal was not the right word for it. Fuuka was still missing, and Yukari was growing more fidgety. Hamuko was more aware of the green haired girl's absence as she was with Hidetoshi, who enjoyed patrolling the halls of Gekkoukan like he owned it. Of course Hamuko never got a chance to talk with him and never really had a reason to. It made her wonder if they would continue to be strangers, or would he become another tag-along to her already growing list of friends?

So anyway, there was a morning speech given by the principal, nothing interesting about vocal plagiarism. She was sure everyone started sleeping with their eyes open.

What _was_ interesting was Mitsuru's visit.

"I have a request for you and would appreciate it if you'd join me after school." Of course the redhead would address this to Minato and not Hamuko.

That did not sit well with Yukari.

"Ugh! Who does she think she is!" Yukari grumbled once Mitsuru was gone. "She always acts like she's the boss of everyone!"

"Rawr Yuka-tan, those are some claws."

"Shut up Stupei!"

Lunch was uneventful afterwords.

Class was much more interesting, considering that it was Edogawa's turn to teach Hamuko's class, much to Yukari's dismay. While Hamuko did find his musings of concepts interesting, she later droned him out when the lesson became a lecture. The man never seemed to know when to shut up.

After school, the group learned that Minato joined –was forced- into Student Council.

That did not sit well with Minato.

"Hey Minato!" Hamuko called from across the hall.

He looked over.

She grinned. "Thanks for taking the position, Leader!" That should teach him not to steal her lunch without looking.

Karma was a great thing.

* * *

**4/30/07**

No one was happy today. It was kind of difficult when Mitsuru started getting prissy at the fact that Minato was holding off the Tartarus runs. Akihiko was not happy either, after being informed by the redhead. Out of all the seniors, Shinjiro seemed to be the calmest out of everyone, and Hamuko later realized that she had not seen nor spent any time with the tall brooding member at all.

…Mitsuru was another case entirely.

The redhead was brutal to the max. Mitsuru was like a scolding mother and a bitching commander rolled up into one with a dose of wasabi.

Wait…was she just thinking about sushi just now? Hamuko's stomach growled in response, and she let out a groan. The others were in the same boat as her, growing even more uncomfortable as the Dark Hour ate at whatever food reserves the group had in their body.

"Shit…" Shinjiro was not far from her when she saw him stumble. His boots had accidentally hit one of the floor's lifted tiles, which nearly sent him into the ground. After Shinjiro noticed what he tripped against, he gave a frustrated sigh, taking a moment to fix the beanie on his head.

Hamuko skipped over to the coat-less member, giving a small appreciative look at the black long-sleeved sweater that hugged his form. "You feeling out of it sempai?" she asked, craning her neck to look up at his face.

He grumbled unpleasantly. "…Dammit, what the hell is she thinking, sending us out here half starved?"

"Well…she was angry at Minato."

Shinjiro took a moment to put down his axe, having it lean against his leg while he checked his hands. He replied, "Doesn't mean she should take it out on everyone else." He took a look at his hands and winced, rubbing his hands to soothe the obvious ache.

Hamuko noticed. Was he starting to form blisters? "Let me see." Without his permission, she grabbed his right hand and held it open so she could see the skin. "It's a bit bruised…are you okay sempai?" she asked again.

He pulled his hand back, muttering, "I'm fine. You should be more worried about the others."

"I am, but it's not like I'm a fox with the power to heal hunger," she commented.

He was amused. "Is that right? Could have fooled me, you always seem to be full of surprises."

Well, at last one senior was in higher spirits. She only hoped the other two would be the same after this.

After a few minutes of following the leader, Minato spoke up, "This is it…" He stopped the team.

The group took one look at what was blocking them.

"What the hell is this?" Junpei remarked, looking quite shocked.

Yukari was no different. "This is…a forest?" she asked confused.

"The trees…have faces," Hamuko muttered and held onto her weapon nervously. "We're going to have to go through these things aren't we?" Considering the ever-changing layout of Tartarus, it looked like the group had no other choice but to go through the dense thickets.

Minato did not move from his spot. "The Guardians should be nearby."

"What are these Guardians anyway?" Shinjiro grunted.

Hamuko perked up. "Oh yeah, weren't you also looking for them? What are you doing it for?"

"It's for a request." Minato did not elaborate, but the look he gave her suggested that the request was for someone important, someone that she might know. At Shinjiro's question, he shrugged. "All I know is that they're strong Shadows that guard the entrance to the next block."

"Block…?" Hamuko asked, confused.

"That's what I call it. The next floor is completely different from this one," Minato answered, shaking his head. "I don't know how to explain it, but you'll see for yourself."

Yukari spoke, "Wait…" She looked surprised. "Just how far up did you go?"

"Not far, just enough to the next teleporter."

From the look on everyone's faces, they seem to doubt his words.

"Where do you think those Guardians are now?" Hamuko asked as the group began making their way through the forest.

The only answer she received was the thundering snap of twigs and sharpening screams. Everyone jumped, startled as they covered their ears from the echoing groans. To everyone's astonishment, the wrinkled faces of the trunks moved, opening up hollow mouths and blasting out sounds of agony.

"_They're screaming?"_ Hamuko could not hear her thoughts above the loud noises. Suddenly, the air picked up and she felt a strong draft of wind around her. In alarm, she looked up, peering through the dark branches to see a striking color of purple. "Shadows!" she yelled as loud as she could. The others looked up; seemingly unable to decipher her shout, but the alarm was enough to set them on guard.

It was those eagles again.

"UGH!" Junpei was thrown back against a tree by a powerful Garu, causing him to snap a few dangling branches and adding more noise to ever screaming forest.

Hamuko could not even hear Mitsuru over the noise; for she was too busy attempting to swing at the elusive birds. The Shadows cawed at her team, seemingly intelligent enough to know that the screams were bothering them. The eagles backed off, perching onto farther branches, raking their talons against the wood and breaking branches with their wings in an attempt to deafen Hamuko and the others.

"Eurydice!" Hamuko called, but the name was drowned out by the noise around her. Her Persona did not appear, and she found herself growing frustrated at discord around her. The others were having a hard time as well. Junpei was out, as the eagles figured to team against him and send multiple wind attacks in his direction. Yukari was doing her best to hit the birds with her arrow, but gritted her teeth in anger as the eagles learned to fall and duck behind the trees. Shinjiro offered very little assistance, annoyed that the trees' close quarters prevented him from waving his axe around.

Minato was just as useless as they were. With no means of summoning his Persona, he was only able to stand by and protect Yukari, while she focused on dispatching the birds.

Just as it seemed like S.E.E.S could not take enough, the eagles surprisingly began retreating. Beating their wings, the eagles leapt from their perch and flew off into the forest.

Junpei, who had recovered, got up and went after them, much to the group's dissatisfaction.

"Junpei!" Hamuko shouted, but she could not even hear herself. The forest's scream had killed her ears and all she could hear was an annoying ringing. Looking over to the others, Minato gave them a nod, an okay to follow. Since they were unable to communicate vocally, gestures would have to do.

With pained ears and growing headaches, everyone ran through the forest, intent on leaving the screaming trees behind them. Ahead, Junpei's jacket flapped, giving them all something to focus on as they attempt to reach him.

The road started to elevate, and the group carefully hopped over outstretched roots. Soon the path led them all to an old structure, a temple of sort with overgrowth growing around its entrance. Junpei ran up the steps before disappearing into the blackness beyond. Without him in sight, the others slowed to a stop, taking a moment to peer into the entrance.

"_I can't see inside of it,"_ Hamuko thought. That was worrying. Junpei did not have the means to face those eagles by himself either.

Minato entered the temple first, then Yukari, with Hamuko coming up and Shinjiro entering last.

She felt a similar pull again, a grab at her shoulders similar to the excursion she had previously. "_We're going to get separated,"_ she thought, alarmed. Her vision went completely black, and Hamuko reached out in an attempt to grab Yukari, who should have been in front of her. When her fingers brushed through air, her heart pace quickened. Yukari was not there. Yukari was not there!

Then to her shock, an arm, warmer than the pull, wrapped tightly around her waist. That was before her body turned icy cold and the ground beneath her disappeared.

Startled, she flailed astonished to feel her motions slowed, sluggish. Opening her eyes, blue intercept her vision, everything was blurry. White blobs floated before her eyes and it took her some time to realize it was bubbles.

She was underwater.

Her lungs jerked, causing her body to respond and remove any blockage that dammed the water. Water came rushing in, through her nose, her mouth, and she coughed, choking in the water. She flailed again, instinctively trying her best to swing up to the surface despite the weapon in her hand. It was then she felt the restriction around her waist. Her mind screamed danger and she tried kicking, attempting to escape so that she can acquire some oxygen from the light above. To her surprise, she felt her body being pulled up quickly, pushed faster towards the surface until she broke it entirely.

She coughed, quite loudly and rudely as she attempted to spit, heave, and sneeze out the water that clogged her throat and nose.

Another sound joined her; the vibration was much deeper and louder than her own gasping coughs. The hand on her waist was still there, but she did not struggle this time as her senses came back to her.

With her free hand, she rubbed at her sore eyes. After she cleared them from the water, Hamuko turned to look at her tagalong.

"_Shinjiro…?"_ He was with her alright, suffering as much as she was.

Looking around, Hamuko spotted some land ahead. It was a small area, just a crawlspace, but it was enough for the both of them. Thankfully, the reflection of the water's surface shined across the cavern walls, offering Hamuko a bit of light to guide her as she kicked her legs and nudged Shinjiro to do the same. He followed; releasing her waist only after the two reached the edge of the limestone floor.

With a weak heave, Hamuko climbed up before turning around to pull Shinjiro after her.

Once he got onto land, he laid there, elevating himself enough with one arm while he attempted to cough out the water from his lungs. Hamuko made some room by pressing herself against the walls, choking up water while inspecting her teammate.

Shinjiro did not have his axe with him. Did he leave it underwater? Considering the visibility, Hamuko doubted the two would go back to get it anytime soon. At least his beanie was still on his head, somehow.

Looking at the walls that surrounded them, it was clear.

The only way out was to go back down.

* * *

Setton: About the fox thing, it's a reference to Persona 4 and the myth. Kitsune's were known for their powerful magic and ability to make illusions become real. Hamuko was alluding to it.

I had a bit of trouble writing the part with Hidetoshi. I wanted to get some more data on him, but my cousin keeps coming to my room and conquering my PS2. He is still currently playing Persona 4 on it…

That teacher earlier (the one Hidetoshi spoke up to), I always knew that creep was weird in the game. That bastard gave me a very bad vibe, especially in P3P *shudder*.

Can anyone guess what those eagles and screaming woods allude to?


	7. Momento Mori

Setton: I'm BACK! Finally, sorry for the long wait, but finals was coming closer, and I had to pass my classes. I was totally freaking out, so stressed that I almost cried (yes I am that serious). To kill some stress off my finals, I chilled out for a few weeks, sleeping and playing games. After a few more weeks, I found out that I got B's in all of my classes. OMG, you would not believe how RELIEVED I was. By the way, my school BBQ was awesome, Super Smash Brawl for the win! Anyway, back to this story now.

**TechNomaNcer28**: Thanks for the review, lol. Yeah it seems a bit surprising to have Tanaka become her adopted father. I originally planned for the old couple to take her in, but that would leave Minato with no one. I always wondered how he would pay for his stuff in the game. Since his parents died, I thought of relatives, but apparently none live in Iwatodai. So my next thought was to have Minato adopted. I think it works well, considering that he reminds the couple of their son.

**Tristes:** Lol, good guess, but I was actually alluding to a circle in hell, which can be found in Dante's Alighieri's Divine Comedy (I am such a nerd, lol). Those who are punished within the circle are given the form of trees and are only able to speak when they are damaged. Harpies feed upon their leaves. About Hamuko and Minato being a couple, I try not to rush things, seeing that they barely know each other lol. They are not the only potential couple, seeing as there are many pairings for Hamuko. You will have to see what happens later on, XD. Yes, I dislike Yukari too, especially in The Answer, but there are some fans who love her. I try to avoid bashing unless absolutely necessary.

**PrinceNoctis:** Thanks for the review. At first I did not find them cute together, that was until I started brainstorming for this story. I now see everyone as a potential pairing actually.

**Hanetsu**: Glad you like my story! I would update sooner, but yea, college students got stuff to do lol.

* * *

Momento Mori

"Dammit!"

Hamuko watched as Shinjiro angrily threw the receiver into the cavern's walls. The black circular object hit it with a bang, chipping the piece before it fell to the ground. With a frustrated sigh, Shinjiro returned back to his seat, hunching over while gripping his beanie with a discontent look.

"Still can't get through?" Hamuko asked.

"Shit's no good," he grumbled. "Not even an ounce of static."

"Mitsuru-sempai's going to be pissed when she finds out what you did to her receiver…"

"Thing's dead anyway."

Hamuko simply shook her head before turning to look at the water creeping near her shoes. "Don't you think it's weird?"

Shinjiro looked up, staring at her in confusion. "What is?"

"The water is blue…" She used a hand to hit the surface, watching as the clear liquid fly into the air. "It acts like water too. Doesn't the Dark Hour usually change it into blood?"

He grunted at her, muttering, "Does it matter? Just be happy it wasn't blood, else it would have been a lot harder to swallow."

She grimaced, her face contorted into disgust. It was hard not to imagine, swallowing the glob of thick copper. She was not a stranger to the taste, since she had her own experiences with injuries.

"_I'm going to have to ask Igor or the others about Tartarus later," _she thought before reaching down to take off her shoes. Rolling off her long socks, she stuffed the wet cloths into the hollows of her shoes. Barefooted, she stood up and turned to the water.

"What are you doing?" Shinjiro asked her.

She turned her head. "I'm going to see if there's a way out of here. If we stay here any longer, we'll lose oxygen."

Shinjiro only gave the room one more look before he got up. "Let me go first." He walked over, taking the space at her side.

Watching him take off his shoes, she replied, "You don't have your axe."

"I don't need an axe to kick some ass."

She managed a grin. "Alright then, be careful. We wouldn't want Shadow Jaws coming after you."

"Can't be helped." He shrugged off her concern before smoothly diving into the water.

She watched as he resurfaced momentarily to take a deep breath before diving down. Water lapped up against the shores, touching her toes as she stood by the edge. The dark black form of Shinjiro grew smaller as he touched the bottom and swam across the sands. White clouds were kicked up, blurring his image before she could no longer see him.

Hamuko clasped her hands behind her back, shifting her body left and right as she waited. About a minute later, she was not surprised to see a blackened figure quickly approaching the surface. With a shattering splash, Shinjiro broke the waters and took a deep breath.

Wiping the water from his eyes, he turned to her. "I found an opening," he spoke, swimming over to the edge. He glanced at her quickly, before his eyes looked down to peer at his shoes.

Hamuko carefully bent down and slid her legs into the water. "Do I just follow you?"

"The opening is just straight across, not too far," he explained. "You'll hit a wall, just climb up and you should get there."

"Oh." Well at least they did not have to hold their breath long. "Did you find your axe?" she asked him. A large dark item should not be too difficult to find amongst a pool of white sand.

"Yeah, I'll pick it up once we pass over it."

"Are we leaving our shoes?"

"Tch…" Shinjiro looked annoyed. "I guess so."

Well, she could see the reasons why. It was never comfortable to walk in wet shoes. Even if their shoes dried, it would only end up stinking up the place.

"You ready?" he asked her, once she slipped into the water and paddled to the middle.

With a nod, she watched as he went under first. Taking a deep breath, she followed after him, diving down with her hands outstretched. The tip of her naginata hit the sands first, and she breathed out some air, allowing her body to sink to the floor. With a crouch and a powered launch, she kicked herself away from the floor and pulled forward quickly. She followed up with powerful strokes, closing her eyes tightly to avoid getting any sand into her eyes.

Holding her naginata before her, she continued paddling until the blade hit something hard, forcing her into a complete stop. Figuring she hit the other side, she swam closer to the wall and made her way up the rocks. Breaking through the surface, she wiped at the water on her eyes and spotted land before her. Her naginata went ashore first, before she hauled her tired body up onto land and looked back. Shinjiro was still underwater, as she could see his figure. As he came up, he took a relieved gasp, sucking up oxygen through his mouth while he wiped his eyes and tossed his found axe onto the rocky floor.

His beanie slipped, but he quickly reached out and fetched it from the water and returned it to his head.

Swimming up to shore, Shinjiro hauled himself out of the water and steadily stood up. Looking at the floors, he gave a small grunt of satisfaction. "The ground is smoothed."

Hamuko turned to look. "It's probably because of the water," she mused. Despite the land's elevation, water still flooded the ground. Repetitious patters, echoing within the cavern, indicated leakage.

With a sigh, she stood up and held her naginata. She could definitely feel the numbness in her fingers for holding the weapon too long. To her right, Shinjiro grabbed his axe and hefted it onto his broad shoulders. Not so much of a word came out of him as he took the initiative and led the way.

The caverns almost seemed like an underground network of tunnels, similar to an ant farm. After a few minutes of wandering around the tunnels, she was sure that they had gone around in circles. She only proved it later after marking the walls of the tunnels with her weapon. The revelation greatly annoyed the both of them, as the two were growing sick of staring at the orangey scenery and the occasional Shadows. To Hamuko's confusion, it seemed like the Shadows had changed along with the area. No longer were they fighting floating knives, clown gloves, magical tables, and acrobats. Instead, it seemed like every Shadow here was based off creatures that one would find in a cave.

That meant bats, insects, spiders, and fishes.

Hamuko let out a huff, gritting her teeth in disgust as she pulled her naginata out from the Shadow's body. Black ooze squirted out from the large albino arachnid. Shinjiro came up right next to her, his eyes staring forward and his stance stilled.

Confused by his posture, he followed his eyes forward. Ahead of them, nearly engulfed by the rock around it, was a sign. It looked to be a neon sign, but its lights were dead and the words were cut off.

She and Shinjiro walked over, peering at the sign that was stuck above their eyelevel. "Awa…mori…" Hamuko read off, before blinking. "Awamori…? As in the liquor…?"

"Apparently." Shinjiro grunted.

"By why would this sign be…?" Hamuko's mind clicked. "I-I think I saw this sign before." She took another good look at it. "It used to be hanging over some bars…"

Shinjiro gave her a puzzled look, questioning, "Bars…?"

Hamuko turned to him, nodding rapidly. "Yeah! Like the bars of a cellar! …Awamori cellar… Gyokusendo!" She came to realization. "We're walking in a cavern modeled off of Gyokusendo!"

Despite her jovial attitude, Shinjiro only grew frustrated. "Great…" he muttered, taking a moment to pull off his beanie and stuff it into his pockets. The dampness must have gotten to him. "Ever been there?"

"To Gyokusendo?" Hamuko asked, to which he nodded. "Yeah, when I was a kid. Whenever my parents and I were in the area, we would visit some of the tourist attractions. Gyokusendo was one of them." With a solemn smile, she brought her hands behind her, fingers gripping onto the length of her naginata. "My mom and dad were traveling businessmen and were always going places. They would bring me with them all the time, since we had no relatives to watch me. They were an only child and most of their family members passed away due to old age."

"…Where are your parents now?"

"Dead," Hamuko stated, glancing up at him through her bangs. He did not show any shame or remorse for asking. "It happened eight years ago. We were involved in a car crash and there was a huge explosion. I don't remember much else. After that, I was placed in an orphanage and stayed there until I was adopted by my new dad. You might know him, goes mainly by the name Tanaka."

"Tanaka…" Shinjiro mused. "Doesn't he appear on the home shopping network every Sunday? The one who rips people off?"

Hamuko blinked before asking, "You watch the home shopping network?"

"N-No!" he sputtered, face flushing pink.

"Oh…what about the cooking shows? Usually those take up most of the airwaves since the Tanaka Show lasts for half an hour each week."

"…I don't watch those either."

"Why do I have a feeling that you're lying, sempai?" Hamuko narrowed her eyes, before teasingly adding. "Do I have to watch T.V. this Sunday to figure out what you've been up to?"

To her pleasure, Shinjiro gave in.

"Alright fine, you want to know?" He did not give her time to answer. "I like to watch cooking shows." She stared, and he slowly looked away as his face burned. "What?" he asked rudely.

"Nothing!" she sang before cocking her head in curiosity. "Does this mean Shinjiro-sempai likes to cook?"

"Thought it was obvious enough, idiot."

The ruby eyed girl simply blew a raspberry at him. "Watching and cooking are two different things," she explained before questioning. "If you like cooking then, why don't you join the cooking club at school?"

"…Are you kidding me?"

"Oh right…fangirls." Hamuko grinned.

"You better not say a word to the others about this," Shinjiro muttered lowly, almost to a hiss. "I'll never hear the end of it from Iori either."

She hummed. "I'll keep quiet if you cook me something."

"No."

"Please?"

"No means no."

"Fine!" Hamuko huffed before she turned around, looking ready to run down a nearby tunnel. "JUUUNPE-mnph!" Her abrupt yell was cut off by a large hand.

"Alright fine!" Shinjiro growled while Hamuko contemplated ways in making him let go. "I'll make you something, but only if no one is in the kitchen!"

"Yay!" Her cheer lost most of its desired effect, considering her mouth was still covered.

Releasing her, Shinjiro backed off, scratching his head in mute frustration.

"Hey Shinjiro-sempai?"

He looked up with a grimace. "What now?"

"I never got to ask you about your parents…"

She had been a bit hesitant to ask and encroach back upon such solemn topics at first, but Shinjiro did not seem to mind the change. To her confusion, he seemed a bit amused by the question.

"Got none," he answered. "Aki and I were orphans like you were. I guess you could say we still are. Aki and I grew up together in an orphanage, along with Miki."

"Miki?" Hamuko perked up, having heard the name before.

Shinjiro nodded. "Used to be Aki's little sis…she's dead now." With a sigh, he looked up at the Awamori sign, taking a moment to crack his neck to release some pent up tension. "The orphanage caught fire, so you can guess what happened from there. …Bastard won't let it go either."

"_Oh…he means Akihiko-sempai."_ Hamuko reminded herself. "I remember Akihiko-sempai mentioning her once. Said something like how I was just like her…"

Shinjiro scoffed. "You look and act a lot like her, 'cept for the hair."

"Who knows, maybe I'm her reincarnation."

"Doubt it, Miki was never demanding."

Pouting, Hamuko punched Shinjiro's side…hard. All she got was a laugh.

_Crack!_

"_Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Moon Arcana..."_

* * *

**5/1/07**

By the time everyone had regrouped, the Dark Hour was coming to an end and the group gritted their teeth as they were forced to Traesto out of the maze. The Venus Eagles were gone, no doubt wandering the end of the first block like Minato predicted. To say the least, while they had indeed covered good ground, no one was truly happy about the results.

Hamuko and Shinjiro lost their shoes, Junpei lost his hat, Minato used up the last of his Traesto, Yukari was cold and wearing a skirt, Mitsuru was peeved at losing a few receivers (which Shinjiro and a few others threw), and Akihiko was bored stiff with waiting. Lastly, they were tired and hungry.

All in all, it was a bad combination.

Hamuko had yet to get a decent night's rest either, as Igor figured it was a great time to pop in and ask her to meet with Elizabeth and the other siblings.

"Requests huh…?" Hamuko could only imagine what those siblings would ask her to do for them.

* * *

There was a sigh. "Not here again," Yukari commented as she approached Hamuko's desk.

Out of habit, Hamuko looked over her shoulder. Upon noticing the empty desk near the window, she frowned. "She hasn't shown up for a while…"

The light haired brunette raised a brow. "A while…? Try every day." Yukari crossed her arms, a grim look on her pretty features. "I'm worried. A lot of students are now making up rumors about her going missing too. Stuff about her being kidnapped or running away from home."

"I'm not sure if that's good or bad if compared to the rumors about me," Hamuko replied, joking.

Yukari's eyes burned with returned ferocity. "Ugh, I can't believe people are still going on about that! If I knew who was doing this, I would give them a piece of my mind!"

"Yeah, well, let's not worry about that for now. A missing girl is a more worrisome subject than pictures."

"True, but I'm still not going to let that go."

Hamuko merely rolled her eyes.

By the end of class, the group met up.

"Hey, where's Ryoji?" Hamuko asked. She tilted her head curiously upon noticing their residential womanizer was absent.

Yukari made a face. "Dating girls, no doubt."

Junpei gave a whistle. "Getting jealous Yuka-tan?"

"Stupei, if you keep up with those stupid ideas of yours, I will Garu you the next time we are in Tartarus."

"Anyway, why are we following you again?" Minato questioned Junpei, preventing Yukari from going any farther with her threats. The group walked past the school gates, giving no mind to the attention they were all drawing.

"Oh." Junpei puffed up his chest, looking very much like a preened bird. "Akihiko-sempai is having his arm checked up at the hospital today, so he asked me to get the class roster of 2-E for him."

Yukari stared at him dully. "Is that it? You came to our class to get an attendance sheet? Why do I get a feeling you were just hoping to ditch class?"

"Aww Yuka-tan, you really know how to break a man's heart."

"Akihiko-sempai probably asked him because Junpei's absence won't affect his grade either way," Hamuko commented before her and Yukari bust out laughing.

Junpei looked at them wide eyed, asking, "Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

"No." answered Minato, whose lips upturned. "It's a downright insult."

"Sheesh! What is this, Make Fun of Junpei Day?"

Hamuko wiped any forming tears in her eyes as she attempted to calm down. "So why did Akihiko-sempai ask you for our roster sheet?"

"I dunno, but it's probably important."

"Figures that you would ask questions later." Yukari sighed.

"Hey! It's probably confidential stuff!"

"How is anything confidential with a roster sheet?"

Hamuko laughed before she placed on her earphones. Changing the volume to loud, she looked over to her right and saw Minato doing the same.

"_Withered flowers, forget, what they wept for, day after day-eyaeyaeyaeyah."_

* * *

The hospital was full of people, just like always.

Looking away from the window next to her, Hamuko turned to Akihiko, who had busied himself with staring at the roster sheet.

"So, uh, Akihiko-sempai?" Junpei was the first to speak. When Akihiko gave them his attention, Junpei continued. "What's with the sheet?"

"Oh this?" Akihiko looked back down at the paper. "It's just something Mitsuru wanted me to look into."

"It's about Yamagishi Fuuka, isn't it?" Hamuko took a wild guess, seeing as mostly everyone's attention was centered on the girl's disappearance.

Akihiko turned his silver eyes, regarding her. "Yeah. She's been absent since the start of school and no one has seen her around. Mitsuru thinks it has something to do with the Shadows."

Yukari had the look of "I knew it!" written across her face.

"We also think she's a Persona user."

"What?" Hamuko perked up before asking, "What makes you think that?"

"Despite being a combat Persona, Penthesilea still has some unique functions that one would find in a support type," Akihiko explained to them. "In Mitsuru's case, she can sense other Persona users and Shadows, but to an extent. They have to be in the same area as her."

"You serious?" Junpei's jaw went slack. "Is that how she handpicks people?"

Akihiko looked serious. "Obviously," he replied. "Well, with the exception of some, how else would we be able to recruit? Can't really go up to someone and ask if they have a Persona." He gave them all an amused look.

"So what do we do now?" Hamuko asked, gaining their attention. "If Fuuka is another Persona user, where can we find her?"

Akihiko grimaced. "That's the problem. She's vanished, and no one is telling us anything."

* * *

After the hospital, Hamuko decided to visit the three siblings at the antique shop. Much to her confusion, two of the three were missing, which left Theodore to watch over the shop in their absence. From the look on his face, he did not enjoy being cooped up within the shop.

Spotting a few customers –mainly female- wandering around some nearby shelves, Hamuko settled herself near the glass counter. "Where are your sisters, Theo?" she asked. She ignored the interested looks the girls were sending their way.

Theodore immediately cheered up upon seeing her. "Ah, greetings Hamuko-sama."

Hamuko cringed at the honorific. "Hamuko is just fine. Nobody these days uses sama, much less on a high school girl."

"Then will Hamuko-san be sufficient?"

She glared at him. "Just Hamuko."

He grew slightly flustered, possibly because of her indignant response. "Y-Yes…Hamuko." His look turned into somewhat of pained.

Concerned, she asked, "Is something wrong?"

Theodore eyes snapped towards her, his words still flustered. "I-I… No… Forgive; I was merely reminded of something."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"…It's…not something I wish to speak about." He gave her an apologetic glance. "May I ask what your business here pertains?"

So he wanted to avoid the subject. All right, that was fine with her.

"Igor mentioned something about meeting all of you for some type of request?"

Theodore's lips broke out into a fond smile. "Ah yes, requests actually. A comprise between us denizens and dear guests. Should you accomplish the tasks we set out for you, you shall be rewarded in return."

"Am I to know that Minato does this sort of thing as well?"

Theodore frowned a bit. "It is not a secret. He is a respective guest, who Elizabeth attends to." He went quiet.

She cocked her head. "Do you hate him?" From the sound and look of it, he did not seem fond of her blue haired friend.

His cat-like eyes momentarily looked away, taking a moment to peer into the fire of a nearby candle. "Truthfully, I do," he murmured. "He is the result of tragedy." The answer puzzled her. Before she could question any further, Theodore turn to look at her, and asked, "Do you have a moment to hear my request?"

Changing the subject again? She might as well give up on asking. With a slight shrug, Hamuko nodded. "Sure."

"I would like for you to accompany me to Chagall Café. A date if you will."

The blinked at him slowly, a bit stunned by the request. "A date…?" She was to go on a date with a seemingly inhuman man, who was possibly older than her ancestors combined? "_But remember, this is a denizen of the Velvet Room!"_ She was not sure how close Igor was to the other residents, but she figured angering or saddening any one of them was not an option.

Her lips parted, and she asked, "Don't you –you know- practically live here?"

He gave a slight frown. "In a way, yes, but I do not frequently visit places. Despite my age and knowledge, I can never successfully co-exist in your world." He gave a chuckle. "It is also more enjoyable with company, is it not? I would rather accompany you than my sisters, who would no doubt find ways to embarrass me."

"With you being the younger brother, I sorta expect that a lot from them." Hamuko grinned. Backing away from the counter, she clapped her hands. "All right then! I accept your request!"

* * *

She had expected the date to go ridiculously wrong, considering what he was. Yet to her surprise, Theodore hardly overreacted upon their visit, making the trip almost a bit dull in comparison to her imagination.

Everyone seemed interested in the stranger by her side. After all, it was not every day a handsome blond foreigner would visit a café. Despite Theodore's queer way of dress, he still managed to look well-mannered and elegant, in comparison to some of the stuffy formal suits sitting around the tables.

A few customers sent her disapproving looks, possibly misinterpreting the way she had taken Theodore's arm. Geez, was it a crime these days for a man to be a gentleman? Everyone was giving her those same looks that the Gekkoukan students shot her. Then again, she could not blame them. It must have looked weird to see a young girl being escorted around by a full grown man.

"I'll be right back to take your orders, okay?" Their assigned waitress chirped, her smile wide and eyelashes fluttering.

"_She's trying to flirt with him,"_ Hamuko confirmed, watching as Theodore's attention was caught by a potted plant nearby and not the waitress. Was he doing it on purpose? She was a bit unsure. Obvious enough, the waitress gave a pout at the lack of response, before she bounced away towards the café's counter.

Satisfied by the state of the plant (really?), Theodore turned to look at her with confusion written across his eyes. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"…Err, yeah…why you ask?" Cue tilting of her head.

"It seems that many of the women here suffer from a problem with their eyes. Repetitious blinking…is the air too dry?" Theodore frowned, taking a moment to pause and take in the warmth of the room.

Hamuko nearly smacked the table, laughing.

Theodore, of course, noticed the clear amusement written across her face, and he grew flustered. "W-What? Did I say something wrong?"

"I'm sorry Theo." She laughed. "It's just, the girls are not having problem with their eyes. It has nothing to do with the air either. They were just attempting to flirt with you."

"Flirt…?" From how he echoed the word, it seemed like the type of affection was a foreign concept to him. "…With their eyes?" He added.

"Some females do it. It's sort of a reflex whenever they wish to woo or attract others." Hamuko grinned. "In some ways, I guess you could assume that fluttering eyelashes are similar to that of courting birds. The fluttering is a rapid movement that can draw attention to the individual's face and eyes. Naturally, humans would court those who are more handsome or beautiful in appearance. Experts say healthier appearances offer a better chance in creating healthier offspring."

"I see…" Theodore nodded in understanding, his lips turned down. "Humans are so strange…"

"…Says the entity of power," Hamuko replied with a smile. "How do you guys do it?"

"Court?"

"Yeah."

"I would not know," Theodore answered." I never have known anyone other than Igor-sama and my sisters. The previous denizens of the Velvet Room have left long before my arrival."

"Must be lonely…"

Theodore gave her a smile. "Sometimes…"

* * *

"I came to warn you."

Pharos was here again, but Hamuko could see that his usual meet and greet was more of a serious matter.

"Warn me? About what?" she questioned, looking away from the book she was reading. She watched as the young boy crawled up onto her bed, turning around so that he may have a seat and hang his legs over the edge of the mattress.

"The next ordeal of course," Pharos stated, blinking at her. "It shall happen upon the next full moon." He frowned, looking at her disapprovingly. "At the rate you are going, it'll be too much for you. You have to become stronger."

Hamuko rolled her eyes. "If you hadn't realized already, I am no longer the one calling the shots. Minato recently joined the team and he's now our leader. I can't go to Tartarus without his or Mitsuru-sempai's permission."

"If you don't get stronger, then we won't be able to see each other again."

She looked at him, confused. "What do you mean by that?"

"You'll die." Pharos frowned. "And if you die, we won't see each other."

"…Ever tried being optimistic?" Hamuko asked.

He looked even more confused. "How does one be optimistic in the face of death? Everyone fears it."

Hamuko smiled. "Even you…?"

Taken aback, Pharos looked down at his bare feet, lost for words. After a moment, he spoke up, "Yes. After spending so much time with you, I begin to fear it as well."

"So it's my fault?"

Pharos shook his head. "No. If it weren't for you, I would have never understood these emotions. Is this what all humans go through? I can see why they yearn for death so much, despite fearing it." He smiled.

Hamuko balked. "Excuse me?" Was she hearing him correctly?

Pharos seemed to notice his choice of words, and looked ashamed. "Oh…I'm sorry. I sometimes forget that you are human."

"You are a morbidly mature kid." She sighed. "Anyway, let's stop talking about people dying. We should be talking about happier things, like chocolates and cats."

The young boy laughed. "That is very like you Hamuko-chan."

* * *

**5/9/07**

"Don't look up!"

Hamuko could only sigh as she waited for Yukari to move. As the boys –Minato and Junpei- innocently looked away, the girls quickly made their way up the ladder. Hamuko moved away from the door, her ears catching the sound of the boys' shoes clanking against the metal steps. Junpei was the first up, shooting a charming smile in Hamuko's direction, to that she responded with her own deadpan stare. There was no way she was going to encourage him into peeking under her skirt.

Looking away, Junpei coughed. "So what now?"

Yukari gave a light shrug as she looked around the car.

"_**Hamuko."**_

Hamuko flinched, earning herself a look from Minato.

"That's weird. We're not at a station and yet the doors are all wide open…"

To everyone's shock, the doors closed with a snap. There was the sound of craning metal before a jolt knocked them all to the ground.

"Ow!" Junpei had hit his head against a pole. "What the hell!"

Hamuko could feel the car moving beneath them, rumbling as the wind scratched at the doors. Sitting up, she quickly fixed her skirt before turning to the others. The situation was all too familiar. The frightening feeling of not being in control, it reminded her of the time she was almost killed during the last monorail incident.

"_Is this the same Shadow from before?"_ Hamuko asked herself. Her instincts screamed yes.

Their receivers crackled to life. "_Everyone_,_ it's a Shadow!"_

Yukari looked over at them, rolling her eyes as she did so. Yup, the animosity she held towards the redhead was still there.

Hamuko stood up, using the poles to help her up. She gripped harder when the train gave another jolt forward. Her ruby eyes widen in horror, realizing that the monorail had just picked up speed. She turned to the others. "We have to get up to the front!"

The others nodded before scrambling up to their feet. Just as they rushed towards the door to the next car, there was a sudden pull. It felt as if someone had grabbed the front of her blouse and pulled her forward. There was the screeching of breaks as the monorail suddenly slowed down and sent them all flying forward into the walls and on top of each other.

Hamuko gave a yelp, which formed into breathless whine as her face rammed itself against the door, sending her nerves sparking. "Owww…." She groaned from her place on the floor, taking a moment to rub her numb face. That was definitely going to bruise tomorrow. The others did not seem to have gotten away from injury either.

"Can you get off my legs?" Yukari asked, rubbing her head with a wince on her face.

Hamuko did her best to lift her body, which was quite difficult with Minato draped over her back. "Guys, get off me!"

Minato gave a groan, rolling off of her with a hand held at his side. He showed no outward signs of injury, possibly because he had Hamuko and Junpei to cushion his fall.

"You okay Minato?" Hamuko questioned as she sat up, groaning as she felt the stain of muscles in her back.

"I got jabbed by my sword hilt, but yea…I'm fine. Check on Junpei though."

They did and were surprised to find him bleeding from the nose.

"Aww man, why does all this shit have to happen to me!" he complained loudly, looking down at his bloodied shirt and hands.

Yukari scuffled over. "Dammit Junpei, pinch your nose!" She scolded. "The last thing we need is for you to die of blood loss."

"We'll soon be plastered to the wall if this keeps up," he grumbled, as the monorail sped up again. Despite his ongoing irritation, Junpei sat still while Yukari proceeded to heal him. "Is my nose broken? I hope not, the girls will be disappointed."

"…I'm itching to break it right now."

"Ah-ha…you're joking right Yuka-tan?"

"_Save the chatter for later, you all only have eight minutes left before impact." _Mitsuru reminded them.

"If the Shadow keeps this up, we might have more," Hamuko spoke as she stood up and gripped the handle of the door. "That's if we don't fall flat on our faces again." She winced at the thought before sliding the door open. The sight of coffins greets her and there was no sign of Shadows anywhere. "What…?"

"_Keep your guard up. I have no doubt that the Shadows are hiding," _warned the redhead, as the group entered the next car.

"Question is, where are they….?" Yukari asked as the group carefully made their way forward through the car, holding onto the handles overhead, just in case the Shadows pulled another similar stunt from earlier.

As they made their way forward, Hamuko looked towards the seats, spotting a large tome sitting on top of one. "A book…?" She paused. The tome looked similar to the compendium. Walking over to it, her hand reached out to take it from the seat.

"Wait, Hamuko!"

Someone pulled her back, just as something slithered out from the book, looking similar like cloth. It attempted to reach out, to wrap itself around Hamuko's wrist, but gave a hissing cry of frustration when Minato dragged her off to where they entered the car.

"Ugh, what the hell is that?" Junpei yelled, as he and Yukari brought up their weapons and pointed it in the direction of the flailing book. The thick tome flipped into the air, floating just for a second before its Shadow form flew in from the window. The book took a seat on top of the Shadow's tiara.

Mitsuru gasped. "_A Shadow…!_"

At the declaration, the Shadow made a shrill noise before running off into the next car.

Junpei ran after it. "Huh! Hey get back here!"

"_Wait!"_

Junpei let out a frustrated growl as he stopped and allowed the Shadow to disappear into the next car.

Mitsuru spoke apprehensively, "_Strange…the Shadow chose to retreat."_

Yukari lowered her weapon. "Well, it's four against one after all."

"_That has never stopped them before…"_

Junpei glared. "C'mon! If we don't go after it, we're gonna lose it!"

"_Arisato, you're in charge. What's your decision?"_

"Proceed cautiously," Minato answered. "We have no idea what it's going to do."

Mitsuru sounded pleased. "_My thoughts exactly."_

"Are you serious?" Junpei asked. He seemed to be at his breaking point, which no doubt shocked Hamuko. Since when did he act like this? Sure there had been a few times she caught him exploding in anger, but for what reason was he acting like this now? Was it because of Minato? Was he jealous that Minato was taking the spotlight?

In the next second, Junpei ran off, dashing into the next car without the rest of them.

Yukari screamed out in frustration and worry. "Junpei!"

"Doesn't this seem familiar?" Minato muttered irritably, seemingly unconcerned that Junpei had ran off.

Hamuko turned to stare at him, watching as he took a moment to dust off his uniform. "What's wrong with you two? First you're all best buds and now you're both acting like total jerks. It's like the Dark Hour is messing with your head."

"Sorry…" The blue eyed boy apologized, looking away from her. She waited for an explanation, but sighed when she got nothing but silence.

Yukari looked over at Minato with a suspicious gaze. "You know, she's right. I don't know what's going on between you two, but it almost seems like you and Junpei got into a fight… Both of you have been pretty tense lately and don't even talk to each other like you used to."

"Everything's fine," he replied again. "Sorry, can we not talk about it right now?"

Hamuko frowned as she followed after the two. "_He's hiding something…"_ Theodore was hiding something as well. "_They're all hiding something…_"

And she was getting tired of being left out in the dark.

* * *

After finding and scolding Junpei, while doing a little bit of Shadow ass kicking, the group finally arrived at the front car.

Wires…there were a lot of wires that wrapped around the entrance to the control room. No Shadows were within sight.

"We have a problem," Yukari reported.

Mitsuru grimly replied, "_I can see that…"_

Hamuko gave a huff, her chest pumping with each strike of fear that stirred within her. Knowingly, Minato placed a hand on her shoulder and she shot him a shaken smile. She pondered their situation for a bit, before her eyes took a look at the wires blocking their way. "They're leading somewhere…" Her head turned, eyes trailing the length of the coils before she found herself staring out the window. …That's it! "The Shadow's on top of the monorail!"

Yukari looked perturbed. "You sure…? I mean, we would have seen it before entering this thing."

"_Our enemies are Shadows. I wouldn't put it past them with a stunt like this."_

Junpei asked hurriedly. "So what do we do now? Climb up there?" Everyone grew silent, and Junpei freaked. "Are you serious! We could DIE!"

"_I'm afraid there's not much of an option,"_ Mitsuru retorted. "_You only have five minutes left, and it is also too dangerous to try cutting through those wires. You'll have to find the Shadow and defeat it."_

"So who's going up?" Yukari held her bow against her chest.

Hamuko frowned as everyone looked for volunteers. Slowly, Hamuko elected herself and raised her hand.

"I'll do it."

She had not spoken. The hand on her shoulder disappeared, and Hamuko whipped her head around to stare at Minato. Her red eyes growing wider by the second as the implications grew clearer. "_He's doing it because no one wanted to!"_ she thought to herself. Panicked, she blurted, "No! You can't go up there alone!"

Minato looked at her, his lips upturned. "I'm the leader, remember?"

Did he consider this a joke? She grew angry. "You idiot! Don't you realize-"

"I know." He cut her off, like he did before. It was simply infuriating!

Despite their complaints, Minato headed towards one of the windows and began prying it open. When his fingers did not work, he jammed his sword between the cracks, doing his best to get it open without breaking his only weapon.

"H-Hey, Minato!" Junpei called as Minato finally pulled open the window, making sure to jam it within place.

Hamuko flinched when her blue haired teammate stuck his head out the window. The sick winds buffed him, whipping his hair against his face and forcing his head to the right by a few centimeters due to the power. Scared out of her wits, Hamuko rushed forward and pulled Minato back by his uniform, not even apologizing for the fact that his head hit the upper half of the window during her objection.

"Ow-what?" Minato looked surprised, and he turned to look at who was stopping him. "Hamuko, let go."

"No!" she growled. "You're not going to fight that thing up there! One slip and you'll fall off!"

To her growing anger, he only smiled at her. "It's okay." His reply was almost lost in the wind. "I'll be fine."

The tail of his uniform slipped from her fingers, and she stared at him with mixed feelings of worry and panic. Her voice cracked. "…I swear Minato…if you go up there. I'll…I'll…" Her eyes became wet. "I'll cry, and I'll never talk you again."

Another smile, then he left.

* * *

To say the least, the reunion was not as everyone expected.

Hamuko had made good of her word after Minato's daring choice to fight the Shadow alone. Her distress had put everyone at odds. No one was sure whether they should thank Minato or scold him. To be on the safe side, it seemed everyone avoided talking about the matter altogether.

Akihiko was the first to comment on Hamuko's eyes.

"Were you crying?" he asked, blinking in confusion. Everyone looked at him, as if he had just set off a bomb. "Ow! What the hell Shinji?"

Shinjiro merely grunted, dropping his fist in favor of turning around and walking deeper into the dorm. Despite not being on the monorail with them, his actions told Hamuko that he knew what had happened. It was the cue that sent Hamuko running, her shoulders roughly bumping into Akihiko's before she darted past Shinjiro and hopped the stairs by pairs. She could hear the sharp call of Mitsuru, but Hamuko ignored the redhead.

Upon reaching the girl's floor, Hamuko entered her room, slamming the door behind her before locking it. Her eyes grew wet, and she angrily wiped at her eyes. "Stupid Minato…" she muttered. Remembering the words she told him on the monorail, she felt guilty. She really did not mean to ignore him, but she could not find a better way to respond to his actions.

He was the leader, but it should have been her up there. Not him.

Yet it was him. It was always him. Ever since he joined S.E.E.S, he was always the first to do something, even when it almost cost him his life.

At times, she wondered if it was her fault that he acted this way.

* * *

Setton: Here's a little bit of information to clarify. Remember how Hamuko describes Minato? He is a follower and leads only when no one wants to. In the monorail's case, Hamuko is freaking out and blames herself because she thinks her hesitance is putting Minato in danger. Anyway! There will be a surprise coming in the next chapter, hope you enjoy!


	8. Silver Child

Setton: Having relatives over and my mom's boyfriend moving in means I have little to no time for myself, how awful. Anyway, here's the next chapter, with a small surprise in it.

* * *

Silver Child

**5/11/07**

"You have to apologize to him."

"I knoooooowwww! Stop telling me," Hamuko complained before slamming her forehead onto her desk.

Yukari gave a huff, bringing her hands on her hips in a no nonsense manner. "That's what you told me yesterday, but did you do it? I don't think so!" With a sigh, Yukari shook her head. "Look, we did not have much of a choice back there. As much as I hate to say it, Minato-kun was only doing what we couldn't do. Since he's stronger than us, it's only natural that he would fight that thing up there… You did not have to give him the silent treatment…"

"I know, I know!" Hamuko repeated, rolling her head so she could rest her cheek against the desk's face. Looking out the window, she muttered, "I get a little freaked out and worried. How was I suppose to react when one of my best friends decide to climb out a speeding monorail?" She paused for a moment before speaking, "It was a rhetorical question. I'll… I'll apologize to him, just not now…"

"Ugh! Hamuko-chan!"

"It's embarrassing okay? I'm not used to going up to people and saying 'I'm sorry'. Makes me feel really guilty too, like I wanna run out of the room…"

The light haired brunette sighed. "Still…"

Hamuko tried again. "I'll do it today…" she said, throwing in the puppy dog eyes for the hell of it. "Just not now, please."

They stayed like that for a while, just staring at each other while Yukari preceded to tap her nails against her pink sweater.

After a moment, Yukari sighed. "Okay, but I better see you talking to him some time today!"

Hamuko grinned wryly.

* * *

"_Your songs remind me of swimming! Which I forgot when I started to sink~"_

"What…?" Hamuko blinked as Ryoji told her the news.

He smiled, repeating what he had said. "A high school from another city is coming to visit Gekkoukan."

"I know what you said Ryoji, I'm just wondering why." She laughed despite her apparent confusion. "It's only the beginning of the year, so I don't see how they're already having city field trips."

Ryoji frowned a bit. "Well I don't know much about it, but some of my classmates say that a senior class would be visiting. Apparently the school is considered to be high in the marks."

"Oh…so it's not just any school. It's a _rich_ and _smart_ school." Her thoughts went to Gekkoukan. "So our school asked them to come?" At his nod, she continued. "I'm guessing they're doing this for the competition."

"Maybe, but it's pretty exciting right?" Ryoji commented as he looked down at his lunch. "I never got to travel much to see other schools, since Gekkoukan always first on my parents' list. This field trip would be a great experience."

"I guess…" Hamuko sighed as she placed another stick of Pocky in her mouth, allowing the candy stick to hang between her lips as her eyes looked around the courtyard. She leaned back on the bench they were on, kicking the air languidly.

"Hamuko-chan?"

"Hmm?"

"May I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Are… Do you have a boyfriend?"

"No…I don't." She never really spent much time in looking for one either.

Ryoji gave a relieved laugh. "O-Oh, okay then." He scratched his head. "Sorry if it was too personal. It's just…the rumors..." He was hesitant to bring it up.

Looking at him, she sighed. "What are they saying now?" Apparently she was still the talk of the town.

He looked at the ground with a sadden look. "They won't stop talking about you. At first it was you and Junpei… Then with those photos, the rumors got worse. Now that you hang with us guys all the time, everyone is starting to think you're dating more than one person."

"Automatically they assume I'm going out with every popular guy in school." Hamuko concluded, her eyes searching his face for confirmation. She did not need it, as Ryoji gave a slow nod.

"Sorry…" He apologized. Nervously, his right hand came up to play with his scarf. "I tried to tell them you weren't like that, but they wouldn't believe me."

"Don't worry. It's okay."

Ryoji shouted, "No it isn't!" He looked up, narrowing his eyes at her. "Junpei's right. They shouldn't be talking about you like that!"

"So what do you want me to do?"

"I…" Ryoji paused, looking lost for words. "I… I don't know." His eyes shamefully fell to the ground once more.

Hamuko smiled lightly, taking a moment to place a hand on his shoulder. Rumors were hard to dismiss, and she appreciated his concern. "It's okay Ryoji. So as long as I have friends like you, this is bearable."

She was Shujinko Hamuko after all.

* * *

After the talk with Ryoji, Hamuko figured that it was time to apologize to Minato for what happened at the monorail. A few breathing exercises and replaying a few scenes in her head, she worked up the nerve to wait for him after school.

Only to find out from Junpei that Minato left school before her.

She was livid.

"Stupid Minato!" She pouted an angry red, earning herself a few queer looks from passing pedestrians. Giving the shoppers no mind, Hamuko proceeded to gnaw nervously on her thumbnail. The rush of anger soon melted into something cold and empty, filling her body with hesitance till she was second-guessing herself. The apology she had ready, died on her tongue, and she was no longer looking forward to approaching her blue haired classmate.

"_At the dorm, he'll be there."_ That would be his true destination, as Minato was not the type to hang around a public area alone. The thought of apologizing to him there was thrown out the window. She did not think her nerves could take the attention from her other dorm mates. Junpei would no doubt be there. He was ALWAYS there. Shinjiro too…

Whining in frustration at her weak self, Hamuko peered around the mall for something to do, something that will keep her mind off of the inevitable.

"_The café…"_ Her eyes fell upon the lights within as her nose was tickled by the smell of hot coffee and baked treats._ "That's right…I forgot to apply for a position here."_ She figured it would be no time like the present. If she waited any longer, her other schoolmates would definitely take the chance to nab the job.

So she skipped into the café, her eyes roaming around the place for familiar faces. A lot of the workers looked young, most likely students from Gekkoukan, but they were no one she knew. The customers were fresh, the café filled with new faces. No one seemed to recognize her, despite the rumors and from her last visit with Theo. That was all fine with her. She surely did not need the attention.

Walking up to the counter, she peered over at the bulletin board. The paper was still there, the words bold and fresh. They were still hiring. On the counter and near the register was a stack of papers, which were neatly kept and were freely available. Hamuko took one, then moved away so that she would not hold up the line for any approaching customers.

She headed towards the entrance, pushing the door open as she walked out and took a look at the sheet in her hands.

Then ended up bumping into someone in the way.

It almost felt like she bumped into a wall, though noticeably softer.

She heard an intake of breath, then... "Lisa…?"

Hamuko looked up, her ruby eyes peering into a pair of auburn irises. "Excuse me…?" she inquired politely.

The maroon (or was it rosewood?) haired boy gaped for a moment, before shaking his head. "I…" He looked confused. Backing up, he muttered, "Sorry, you looked like someone…"

"Someone that you know?" She helped.

"Uh…" He looked at her weirdly. "No. I meant that you look like someone from my high school."

If he was flirting with her, it surely was not working. Though he most certainly did look confused.

She gave him another good glance, before noticing the way he dressed. "Are you a student?"

He was silent and then replied, "Yeah."

"Where from?"

"Seven Sisters High School."

Her interest was perked. She heard of the school, it was one of the few establishments her father suggested to her after graduation.

She spoke, "In Sumaru City right?"

He gave another nod.

"Oh!" Realization came to her, and she smiled. "You're that one high school that's coming to visit Gekkoukan!" It would explain why a student like him would be in a place as far as this.

"You're from Gekkoukan," he stated, already figuring it out by her reaction.

"Mhmm, yup!" She bobbed her head, confirming his thoughts. "I'm Shujinko Hamuko, a first year at Gekkoukan high school." She placed her hand out for him to shake. He took it hesitantly with his own, his hand much larger than her dainty one.

"Suou Tatsuya, a senior," he replied before bringing his arm back and stuck both hands awkwardly into his pockets, very unused to physical interactions. Hamuko found his reaction amusing, as it reminded her of Minato

There were a few whispers and catcalls, prompting Hamuko and Tatsuya to look over at the fountain. There, dressed in the Seven Sister's uniform, were a few male students who were shooting the two suggestive looks. As more students from the rivaling school came into the mall, Hamuko soon found herself brought to their attention. Amongst a few heads, Hamuko did not miss the glares she was given from the female population. As one of the few Gekkoukan students within the mall, Hamuko figured it was best to leave before something came up.

Giving Tatsuya her goodbyes, Hamuko ducked her head, her muscles tensing as she got ready to run out of the mall.

"Wait!"

He called her back, much to Hamuko's confusion.

She slowed to a stop and turned to look at him with eyebrows raised.

"…Will you be at Gekkoukan?" he asked.

Hamuko grinned. "I'm always at Gekkoukan." Giving him a parting wave, she turned to walk away. "Ja ne!"

He said nothing else to her, and she gave his figure one last look before she exited the mall.

* * *

"_So dance, wanna put you in a trance! Let's party! Move again your body! Move everybody, move that body, make sure you don't hurt nobody. I said hey hey hey~!"_

When she entered the dorm, the heat hit her before the fragrance.

"Tadaima…!" Hamuko announced her presence as she came into the living room, taking a moment to drop her bag onto the couch and loosen up her bow. She unwind the ribbon around neck, as to let her skin breath, before walking into the kitchen to inspect the smell. Obvious enough, she smelled chocolate, something her nose would keenly hound among all things.

Entering the kitchen, she spotted Shinjiro leaning against the sink's counter, his eyes staring intently at their dorm's oven.

"Sempai…?" she spoke up, partly in confusion and curiosity. He was out of his uniform and was wearing a loose black shirt and some slacks, indicating that he had arrived to the dorm long ago. His signature beanie was sitting on his head, unchanged despite the switch in wardrobe.

He looked up at her. "…Hey," he replied, greeting her with a nod of his head. "If you're looking for any of the others, they're not back yet."

"Really?" Hamuko blinked. "So Junpei and the others haven't arrived?"

Shinjiro shook his head. "Aki said something about staying for his club. Mitsuru prob has a council meeting. I dunno about Iori, Takeba, and Arisato."

"Strange, I figured Junpei or Minato would be here before me. Doesn't seem like they have much to do, compared to the others." Hamuko walked over to the table before taking a seat on the tabletop. "So watcha doin'?" she asked, with a Cheshire grin. She had not miss the empty bowl of cake batter or the tube of frosting near her.

Shinjiro grumbled at her. "Baking a cake, alright? I did say I was going to make you something. Figured you'd like chocolate."

She smiled, leaning forward to ask, "Is it a whole cake?"

He reached up to pull down his beanie, hiding his eyes from her. "It'd be a waste if I just baked a slice wouldn't it?" Pushing his beanie back up, he looked past his hand to glare at her. "You better not eat the whole damn thing in one sitting. The last thing I need is for you to complain about a stomachache later."

Hamuko blew a raspberry. "I don't get stomachaches from eating sweets!"

"Even so, it's unhealthy for you." He warned her. "Then again, at least you're not like Aki. All he does is eat beef bowls and that protein shit of his."

"That doesn't sound bad to me. It's healthy right? Buuu~ Shinjiro-sempai shouldn't be such a hypocrite! I've seen you eat ramen!" She pointed at him accusingly. Golden Week was always a great time to spy on her dorm mates.

"Since when do you pay attention to what I eat?" Shinjiro asked raising a brow.

Hamuko pouted. "Since when did you?"

He looked amused before his eyes turned to look at the nearby clock on the wall. "It should be done by now," he commented before turning around. Picking up some mittens that were left on the counter-top, he put them on before shutting off the oven. After turning the heat off, he opened the door by the handle, standing back so that his face was not assaulted by the heat wave. Once the oven cooled enough for him to approach, he grabbed the tray that held the cake and pulled it out from the oven. Setting the tray on the counter, he closed the oven door before taking off his mittens.

When he turned around, he gawked.

"Y-You idiot! Don't start eating all the frosting!"

Hamuko merely laughed at him before proceeding to do just that.

* * *

Mitsuru would have freaked if she knew where Hamuko was now.

Yet nothing was going to make Hamuko move from her spot.

Hearing approaching footsteps, she crouched low on the bed, waiting restlessly as the knob turned and the door opened. Once her target entered the room, she sprung up and cocked her arm back as far as she could before throwing her giant pink bear at the intruder.

The flying stuffed animal met its mark, emitting a small squeak before it fell to the ground, it's job done.

Minato stared back at her, stunned. "Was that really necessary?" he asked, having enough sense to close the door behind him before the two could get into more trouble.

Hamuko crossed her legs and pouted angrily at him. "Necessary?" she grumbled. "You earned it. I waited all day in the lounge for you to come back, but it's almost the Dark Hour. Where were you?"

He walked over to his desk, dropping his schoolbag on his chair. "I was visiting my grandparents."

Her heart twisted. "Oh…" Great, she was acting like a jerk. "I'm sorry…"

"You seem to be doing that lately," Minato commented as he turned to lean against his desk. "Did you come here just to apologize for how you acted during our last mission?"

She meekly nodded.

He sighed at her. "I'm not mad you know? How you reacted, it's totally normal."

"Yeah but…" Hamuko looked at her lap. "Yukari-chan was right. If it weren't for you, none of us would have walked out that day. Someone had to go. I just wish it didn't have to come down to that."

"I know," replied Minato. "So does that mean I'm forgiven?" He smiled.

She looked up and then grinned back. "I don't know. If I stay mad, will you buy me food again?"

"I'm not a bank Hamuko. How about we call it even if you come with me to the Control Room."

Her red orbs were filled with confusion. "Huh…? What about the Control Room?"

"There are active cameras installed in our rooms. Mitsuru-sempai checks it every morning and afternoon. I'm sure you know what that means…"

"Cameras…?" Hamuko continued to blink. Then it hit her. "EH!"

And so they began their nightly escapade.

* * *

**5/12/07**

"Ohohohoho! Looks who's all smiles today!" commented Junpei as he waved wildly at Hamuko.

Despite his teasing, she could not help but grin wider, her cheeks tinged pink with slight embarrassment. Skipping over, she took a seat near Ryoji. Even after calming down, there was still a detectable glow on her face and in her attitude.

"So…" Junpei's elbow dug into the table as he leaned in with a smile. "Tell your ol' pal Junpei. Something's up, I know it!"

She laughed. "It's nothing!" Her eyes darted over to Minato, who seemed amused. "But since you won't stop bothering me for the whole day, I'll tell you. Minato and I are back to best friends status."

"What? Did you make him get on his hands and knees or something? Have him beg to be forgiven?"

Minato snorted. "Not likely. We just apologized, that's it." He brought his carton of juice to his lips.

"Awww, no kiss and makeup?"

"Did something happen?" Ryoji asked them confused.

"Oh right, you weren't there," said Junpei as he turned to Ryoji in realization. "Well if you wanna know, Mr. Cool and Ms. Princess had a spat two days ago."

"Really…?" Ryoji looked at Hamuko for confirmation. She nodded slightly. "What was it about?"

"Something stupid Minato did," Hamuko commented.

Minato choked on his drink. Clearing his throat, he spoke up, "I thought we already talked about it?" He narrowed his eyes at her.

She held her hands up in a pacifying gesture. "I know! I was just kidding~!" Hamuko laughed before turning her head to look out the classroom. She could hear the rush of activity within the hallways and the distinct sound of a man's voice.

"Yo, what's up?" Junpei asked as he and the boys leaned to the side to get a look.

"Maybe it's that high school who's coming to visit?" Hamuko guessed as she pushed her chair away from the desks. "Wanna go see?"

Ryoji's face seemed to light up at the familiar subject, and he nodded with enthusiasm. "Of course!"

Junpei and Minato followed afterward. "Dude," Junpei remarked with a grin etched on his face, "We're so whipped."

Hamuko gave a hum as she looked over her shoulder. "What was that Junpei?"

"Nothing~ I'm just excited to see the chicas, ya know?"

She blew her signature raspberry at him before deciding to skip out of the classroom first to join the growing crowd. "Gah…!" She gave a small exclaim as she attempted to look over the heads of students. "If only I was taller!"

Minato came up behind her. "Should I get you a box?" His tone was dipped in sarcasm.

Without looking, she brought her hand back and smacked him in the chest. She decided to move forward, pushing herself into the crowd in an attempt to reach the front. There was some slight difficulty, do to the masses, and she had almost had her foot caught behind someone's leg as she attempted to step out. With little grace, she stumbled to the front and was surprised to find herself situated near Hidetoshi.

He raised a brow at her, as always, with his arms crossed. "Good afternoon Shujinko-kun." He greeted her with a nod of his head.

She grinned at him in response. "Odagiri-kun! You got curious too?"

Hidetoshi gave a huff. "No. Personally I could care less, but a fellow classmate of mine pulled me here," he remarked before his eyes turned to look at the curly brunette haired boy standing nearby. Despite mentioning the glasses-wearing student, Hidetoshi passed off introductions.

Hamuko only gave the frail boy a look, before turning her head the other way, as the sound of chattering got louder. Soon enough, a large group of students, in different uniform, were led into the halls of the freshmen floor. It did not take her long to spot out Tatsuya's reddish hair from out the crowd, and he was perhaps the only senior with that sort of color. His face showed an expression of pure boredom, and she noted him playing with a lighter in his hands as his group slowly moved into the halls. No one mentioned anything about the lighter, but she figured the adults must have talked to him about it upon entering school grounds.

There was a few lovesick sighs from her female schoolmates, as they caught sight of Tatsuya within the moving throng.

"He is so hot…" commented one girl.

"About as good looking as Akihiko-kun and Shinjiro-kun right?"

"If only he transferred here. I would so date him!"

"Good luck, I doubt you'll have a chance with competing against that new girl."

"Oh…_her…_ Isn't she dating that new transfer student?"

"Who? Do you mean Ryoji-kun or Minato-kun? I heard she was dating both of them."

"Really? Well I heard she was dating all of them behind their backs…"

Hamuko nibbled on her lip as Hidetoshi turned to stare at her. Feeling the gaze of many, she ducked her head in an attempt to hide her face. Her attempt at escape was fruitless, as a majority of the student body could spot her out simply by her bright red eyes and signature red earphones around her neck. The situation only worsened when the students from SSHS bypassed the gawking freshmen. Tatsuya had caught sight of Hamuko at the front of the row and paused momentarily to greet her with a slight nod.

She smiled wryly at him.

The whispers got louder.

* * *

The club rooms were fairly empty after school. No one really bothered to stick around due to the upcoming midterms. Minato and the others had already left, off to the dorms to study and hit the books. In Junpei's case, he was probably playing his COMPstation. Hamuko was probably one of the few that stayed around, mainly because she was not ready to leave yet. It was one of those days where she wanted to spend much of her time at school, where there were no distractions except for her earphones.

"_In the light men're crossing over lone shadows. Wearing veiled slight hopes for intimacy. Want to be close. To be close~"_

Hamuko opened the door and peaked in, noting how quiet the annex was when compared to the main building. Walking inside, she took notice of an echo. It was a faint thump, which continued in rapid succession. It was as if someone was hitting something hard. Her eyes immediately turned towards the boxing room. Curious, Hamuko walked over to the door and opened it. The smell of rubber and old sweat made her nose crinkle up. The scent was not unpleasant, but it was radically different from what she was used to smelling. She reeled back for a moment, her right hand coming up to rub at her nose as her eyes stared into the room.

It was empty of occupants for the most part. Placed at the center of the room was a ring, with wide spaces around it for seats or interested audiences. Pushed against the four walls were various gym equipment and weights.

Closing the door behind her, she could hear the thumping more clearly. Near one of the heavy bags was the cause of the noise.

"_Akihiko-sempai?"_ She took in a quiet breath, wondering if she should say anything. "_I thought his arm was broken…_" From the looks of it, Akihiko seemed fine. He had hand wraps on, most likely as an added precaution. Yet his punches were light and it looked as if he was holding back. The bag did not move far, and Akihiko looked unsatisfied and irritated. He was shirtless, and Hamuko could see the sheen of sweat that covered his body. Despite the open windows, the room was warm, and Akihiko must have been here for a while.

His muscles were tense and flexed with every pull of his arm. It looked as if he wanted nothing more than to send the bag flying, but restrained himself.

"Ooooh~ Sempai~" Hamuko sang, causing Akihiko's swing to go wide and scratch the side of the bag. "I thought Mitsuru-sempai said not to use your arm!" Her grin was large, and she wanted nothing more than to tease him for going against Mitsuru's words.

He sputtered, "H-Hamuko!" Akihiko moved away from the bag, turning to stare at her with a shocked but guilty look. "Uh, I was just…" He gave a sigh. "Please don't tell her." Obviously there was no avoiding this situation.

Hamuko skipped over, a bit surprise to find the upperclassman using her first name with no honorific. He seemed to be doing that lately whenever addressing Junpei and sometimes Yukari. At least he was less formal than Mitsuru, as it made him easier to get along with.

"I won't say anything," Hamuko told him, before thinking. "…_So as long as you don't break your arm again." _Cocking her head to the side, she questioned, "Is your arm okay now?"

"Yeah." Akihiko admitted as he absentmindedly flexed his left wrist. "The doctor said I was well for the most part, though I should take it easy during practice."

Hamuko grimaced. "Just how much bravado do you put into training?"

Akihiko gave her a smirk. "All out of course. I can't get any better unless I go at it a hundred percent."

"Hmm." Hamuko hummed as her eyes looked around the room before meeting the ring. "Then if your arm is well enough sempai, do you want to have a go?" she asked, turning to look at him.

Akihiko shot her a look of surprise. "You box?" he questioned, interested.

Hamuko laughed. "Nah~ I spar, but I do know a few things from watching the T.V." Bringing her fists up, she grinned. "I may not know much, but I'm willing to bet that I could kick your ass."

"Heh." Akihiko looked at her in amusement, a challenging grin making its way up his face. "We'll see about that. If you want, we can try this now."

"But your arm…"

"I'll use my good arm."Akihiko reassured her, but frowned. "Though that will give you a handicap…"

"We can have a rematch when you get better then." She suggested before asking, "Am I strictly limited to boxing? Or can I fight like I do in Tartarus?"

"No rules," Akihiko said as he began unbinding the wrap on his hands. "Just try not to break my arm in the process." He humored her.

"Pfft, it's your arm; you're responsible for it." Hamuko huffed at him.

Akihiko chuckled. "Yeah you're right." Dropping the wraps onto a nearby chair, he went over to the other side of the room to look through his school bag. There was the sound of rustling plastic, which he pulled out from his bag and tossed over to her.

She caught the bag by the edge, nearly letting it slip to the ground. "What is this?" She turned the small rectangular package in an attempt to look at the labels.

The boxer answered, "Mouth pieces." He looked over his shoulder to raise a brow at her. "Ever worn one?"

"Once," she answered with a grin. "It was Halloween, and I dressed up as a vampire."

Akihiko rolled his eyes at her. "This is totally different. No fangs."

"Aww… "

He smiled at her disappointment. "Anyway…" Akihiko drawled before inspecting her. "Do you have any workout gear? I don't want you sweating in your uniform."

"Oh!" Hamuko realized. "Yeah, they're in my locker. I'll go get them." She placed the mouthpieces onto a nearby chair before she walked towards the door with her things. The lockers were located in the same building, and she simply had to walk down the hall to the girl's room. The insides were clean and quite spacious. The lockers themselves were polished black, standing above her height. Benches separated the lockers, as they filled the space in-between the rows.

To her surprise, there were still a few girls hanging around, their white shirts and grey jerseys indicated that they were a part of track.

The girls were speaking to one another, laughing at a joke before going silent upon the sight of Hamuko. It was freaky, how the girls all turned their heads in unison. Their expressions completely blank and eyes wide.

Hamuko ducked her head and went towards her locker. Fortunately for her it was at the other end of the room. She quickly changed into her tennis uniform before shoving her bag and clothes into the larger locker. Changing her indoor shoes with her sneakers, she quickly tugged them on before closing her lockers. Tapping her toes against the ground, she made sure the shoes were comfortable enough to move in and made her way to the locker's entrance.

The girls from earlier were still by their lockers, talking in hush tones as Hamuko made her way out the room.

"I'm back!" Hamuko chirped as she reentered the boxing room.

Akihiko looked up from where he was fastening his gloves. Taking in her look, he inquired, "Tennis?"

Hamuko nodded with a smile. "Yup! I played it before when I was a kid, thought it'd be fun."

Akihiko nodded as he turned to look at another pair of gloves that he left on the chair. "Let me help you put these on. I had to unwind them a bit since I don't know your size," he commented, and Hamuko came over and held her hands up to him. Her eyes watching curiously as he took one of the large gloves and fit it over her left hand. "How's that?"

Hamuko frowned as she watched the glove clench down, weakly. "Feel's weird," she spoke. While the inside of the glove was cool, she could not feel any insulation. She guessed that she had a few minutes before her hands start roasting.

The silver haired boxer let out a chuckle as he pulled the strings tight. "Wear them for a few hours, you'll get used to it."

"No thank you."

He smiled before fitting on her second glove.

* * *

His endurance astounded her.

His determination…scared her.

Akihiko's eyes were narrowed, sharp like a knife. Despite the padding that covered his fists, his blows knocked her back by a few centimeters. She knew he was holding back, but her heart skipped a beat every time she watched him pull back his arm. She could not tell what he was thinking, but she had a feeling he wanted nothing more than to go all out.

He was fast and weaved past most of her blows like she was an amateur. She grew frustrated as he tapped her cheeks, feinting his attacks with an amused smirk on his lips. His arrogance made her blood boil. Her teeth clenched, digging into the mouthpiece behind her lips. Handicap or not, he did well to outmaneuver her. Her hits were nothing more than love taps. He had taken harder blows from Shadows. At times, she wanted to go all out, and she wanted nothing more than to coax his power to come forth and lash out at her. She wanted to see what he was capable of and it was very difficult to hold back.

As if sensing her animosity, Death woke from his sleep. "Thanatos", as she called him, pushed against her mind. His cold fingers pressed against the barriers of her soul, digging his claws into the wall in an effort to escape.

Hamuko reeled away from Akihiko with sudden panic. To her frustration, the boxer did not relent in his attacks and moved closer to her. He continued attacking her, baiting Thanatos to come out, despite not knowing the danger that he was currently facing. Hamuko had to move around the ring again, her back sliding against the smooth ropes of the ring. She wanted to speak out; to tell Akihiko to stop attacking her while he could, but the mouthpiece made it difficult to speak.

Akihiko rushed forward, his fist meeting her cheek. Hamuko fell backwards, her heart lurched at the drop and the ropes caught her, but the wall she held up between Thanatos and the boxer had fallen.

Spitting out the mouthpiece, Hamuko yelled, "Move out the way sempai!" Her cries were cut off by a groan as pain scattered across her brain, like cracks on a sidewalk. Her chest felt empty, partly hollow as if something had carved itself out of her. A cloak of transparent black appeared, moving out from her before it dashed forward and solidified itself. She only caught sight of Akihiko's surprised look before she was soon staring at the faces of coffins.

"_De-Des…stroy!"_ Thanatos roared as his hands went to pull out his sword. He did not get very far before Akihiko fell back with a yelp and a flurry of yellow came forth. Golden silk strands flew around Polydeuces form like a halo, as the hero rushed out and slammed his fist –as thin as it was- against Thanatos' mask, knocking the rasping figure over and out the ring with surprising strength.

Hamuko watched as Polydeuces stood guard over Akihiko, who seemed occupied in cradling his head in pain. "_He's not used to summoning without an Evoker."_ Considering that Akihiko's Persona had been forcibly summoned, the boxer would need some time to recover. Polydeuces' reaction was partially her fault after all.

Turning away from the duo, Hamuko quickly brought the gloves up to her mouth and used her teeth to untie the strings. Once the gloves had loosened, she let them slip off her sweaty hands before she clambered under the ropes and off the ring.

"Thanatos!" she yelled and gave the hulking figure a particular scathing look. Thanatos got up slowly, stretching his neck so that he may look upon Polydeuces' taunt form. The two stared each other down, before Thanatos moved one leg forward in an attempt to approaching the gold haired Emperor.

Hamuko glared and quickly pulled off her helmet, throwing it at Thanatos, who flinched at the sudden attack on his person. He reeled his head down, hissing at her in anger, but Hamuko merely glared at him. Taking deep breaths, she reached out into her mind and grabbed Death by the hand, tugging and pulling him back with a sense of urgency.

"_Not now Thanatos,"_ she thought. "_It's okay, I was just angry. Come back, everything is fine."_

She felt his hesitance, but gave a sigh of relief when Thanatos gave into her whims and disappeared from sight. With the danger gone, Hamuko turned around, finding that Polydeuces had left, and Akihiko was standing up with a pained look.

Akihiko stared at her, his eyes wide in horror.

And within those eyes, there was a spark of familiarity. He looked at her as if he had seen this all happened before.

* * *

They did not talk about it much, but there were questions, to which Hamuko could not provide the answers for. Thanatos reacted because of her, because she was angry and wanted Akihiko to take her seriously. It could have cost the upperclassman his life, and Akihiko was very lucky that Polydeuces appeared in self-defense.

That did not stop her from wondering why Thanatos chose to show up now.

"_He's getting restless…"_ she thought as turned the knob of her locker. Hamuko could feel Thanatos rummaging through her mind, pushing enough to show his irritation. His agitation seemed to affect her other Personas, who passed inaudible whispers around her head. They were not happy with Thanatos' stunt, much like Hamuko.

Opening her locker, Hamuko blinked.

It was empty…

"_W-Where's my clothes?"_ Her heart raced into a panic. Where was her bag? What about her books? Her racket was not there either!

She quickly opened the small locker above and gritted her teeth when she found her indoor shoes gone. With a sigh, she closed both lockers and sat herself on the bench behind her. Frustrated, she ran her hands through her hair, her mind running like a hamster. Someone obviously stole her things. The perpetrator was most likely female, but Hamuko could not narrow it down to just one person. Literally every girl at school hated her.

Her eyes watered, and Eurydice cooed in an effort to comfort.

Hamuko blinked rapidly to help dry her eyes and then stood up. Making sure that her lockers were closed, she made her way out the room and out the annex.

No one gave her much of a glance as she looked around the entire campus, peaking into every trashcan that she came by. This would not be the first time something like this happened to her. If school taught her anything, it was that scorned girls tend to fight dirty.

"Did you lose something?"

She looked over her shoulder. "Odagiri-kun?" She seemed to be running into him lately. Turning around, she interlaced her fingers behind her back. "What are you still doing here?"

He gave her an onceover, then frowned. "I was doing some errands for my homeroom teacher." Crossing his arms, he asked, "Back to my question, did you lose something?"

"Sorta…" Hamuko trailed off. "I lost my backpack."

Hidetoshi raised an eyebrow. "Among a few other things, correct?"

She looked at him, surprised. "How…?"

He shrugged. "I make it a habit to patrol the school grounds." Hidetoshi began walking, motioning for her to do the same. She followed him without complaint as he led her past the front gates and into the nearby courtyards. "I spotted a group earlier who acted rather suspicious, so I followed them. Considering what they tossed into the trash, I deduced that it did not belong to a friend of theirs."

They came upon a lone trashcan, and Hamuko wince at the sight of the scratched tip of her racket. Coming closer, she took notice of all the food and sauces dumped onto it. Her bag was in the worst condition, stained with different flavors of juices. She could see some of her books near the bottom, either sticky or torn from the pages. Hidden below it all were her shoes, which peaked out from under her bag.

Hamuko gave a sigh and backed away from the trashcan, her hands absentmindedly swatting at the flies moving around her.

Hidetoshi regarded the trashcan with a contemplative look before turning to Hamuko. He spoke, "I'll be sure to inform your homeroom teacher of this. I trust you have no objections?"

"I'm not worried about it too much." She sighed. "I just wished they chose to do it after the midterms. Now I don't have my notes. Looks like I'll have to bother Yukari-chan... She's gonna freak." Scratching her head, she turned to Hidetoshi and bowed lightly. "Thanks for your help."

"I do what I can," he said modestly. "Be careful, this won't be the only incident."

Hamuko grinned widely. "I'll be fine! It'll take more than a couple of bullies to bring me down!"

Hidetoshi gave her a grin of his own. "I hope so. Stay strong Shujinko-kun."

* * *

**5/23/07**

"I'm dying!" Junpei wailed as he practically draped himself over his chair. Looking to his right, he took notice of Minato, whose head met the table. "Yo, you okay Minato?"

The blue haired freshman gave off a fake snore.

"Haha!" Junpei grinned. "I hear you man. Midterms are killer!"

Akihiko nodded. "I agree, even my arm is feeling sore," he replied, taking a moment to roll his shoulders and crack his neck. Despite the fatigue in his eyes, he had more energy than the two boys before him.

Yukari sighed as she walked over to the table and took a seat. Placing her drink on the table, she opened the can of TaP with her fingernails. "It's a good thing we skipped out on Tartarus. I can't imagine how exhausting it would have been if we went every other night," she spoke, bringing the can to her lips.

"Hehe, bet Hamu-tan is feeling grateful too," Junpei commented, chuckling as he nudged his classmate in the side. Minato promptly pushed Junpei off the chair without much thought, causing the boy to flail his arms comically before hitting the ground. "Ouch! Not cool dude!"

"Can we please not talk about it?" Hamuko groaned from her spot in the living room. She was stretched out on the couch, attempting to rebuild all the energy she spent during the last two weeks. Frankly, she did tell Yukari about what happened to the bag and notes. Yukari had freaked, so much that she threatened to beat up the bullies herself, which would never happen because Yukari was never extremely violent to anyone except Junpei. Luckily after a bit of talking, Yukari calmed down and allowed Hamuko to copy the class notes. The subject was never dropped though, and Yukari told the others, which then led down to Mitsuru's massive manhunt, Minato's avoidance to Tartarus, Junpei's procrastination (he joined the manhunt), and Yukari's study buddy attitude.

It was a weird week to say the least.

The last member of their group, Shinjiro, raised an eyebrow at her before he turned back to the T.V. Out of everyone; Akihiko and Shinjiro were the least affected by her bullying problem. Shinjiro could do nothing about it, and Akihiko was ignorant of her situation. She did not mind, considering that she ignored Shinjiro's warning the first time.

"So sempai, I heard you're fully healed," Yukari remarked, diverting everyone's attention from Hamuko.

Akihiko smirked, looking completely proud at the fact. "That's right. The doctor gave me the okay; so I get to join you guys in Tartarus."

"Congrats, man!" Junpei cheered from his side of the table.

"Don't encourage the idiot; he'll probably break his arm again in a week," Shinjiro muttered from his spot on the couch.

"Shut up Shinji."

"Up yours Aki."

Yukari looked worried and spoke up, "But, should you really be fighting with us, sempai? I mean…you did injury your arm pretty bad not too long ago."

"I'll be fine," Akihiko commented, frowning. "I already wasted enough time; besides, we have another Persona user to find."

"You mean that Fuuka chick?" Junpei looked excited. When Akihiko nodded, the cap wearing freshman cheered. "Yes! Another girl on the team!"

"That's if we can find her," Shinjiro replied as he looked over at them. "From what Mitsuru told us, that Yamagishi girl hadn't even showed up for the exams. What's even stranger is that other girl from 2-E who went missing."

Hamuko rolled over so that she could see him. "Another person went missing?" she asked curiously. "Who was it?"

"Some girl with the first name, Ayumi," Shinjiro answered, as he looked at her. "She later reappeared in front of the school gates a week ago, unconscious."

Hamuko quickly sat up, her eyes wide. "Wait, what?"

Yukari looked troubled and spoke, "I thought she had a family emergency…"

"It was a cover up," Akihiko said. "Apparently Ekoda-sensei has been hiding this to save his reputation. Mitsuru's pissed."

Junpei let out a whistle. "Uh oh, that ain't good."

"Didn't that girl come back?" Minato asked as he weakly lifted his head up. "I heard some people talking about her attending school again."

"Whoever she is, she must be fine," Yukari spoke, looking a bit uneasy. "I did not notice anything out of the ordinary."

Hamuko shook her head. "Other than the increase of rumors, no one in our class was acting weird. The girl you're talking about did not stick out either."

"The whole situation looks like the work of the Shadows," Akihiko said, grimacing. "I would like to believe she escaped the Shadows' influence, but we can never be too sure. Mitsuru agreed and will be talking to her parents about keeping the girl home for a while." His eyes trailed over to Hamuko, who looked at back at him. "We wouldn't want any sudden attacks."

At the reminder of her last encounter with the Lost, Hamuko gave him a sour look.

* * *

Setton: Will Tatsuya show up in future chapters? He might not make an appearance, considering the ending on Persona 2 and Philemon's deal. I might string something up, should the idea come to me, but it does not look like Tatsuya will show up at all.

Ugh. I hate coming back to write after a long hiatus, it makes me forget things.


	9. The Rescue

Setton: Not as lengthy as the others, but I waited long enough. Curse ye school and your writing assignments!

**sabriefacde: **There I updated! Hahahah, told you it would be this weekend. Could have been earlier if only my stupid Internet worked faster.

**Imagine Breaker:** Thanks for take the time to review and read my story!

**complexities: **Hahaha, sometimes I cannot remember what I written in previous chapters either. This is what happens when school takes a chunk out of my free time. Considering this story will be a LONG fic, it gives me the ability to build Hamuko's relationship with the others. For many, the story looks short due to the fact that I am following the game timeline. I really did not want to shoot straight into romance so early, so the best friends status was the way to go.

Had some trouble uploading this until I actually typed the ".docx" after the file name. x.x Wow fanfic, so picky. Anyway, onto the story!

* * *

The Rescue

**5/25/07**

It was the beginning of lunch, and Hamuko hardly had any time to put away her books before Junpei rushed into the room.

"Hamuko, Yukari!" he shouted. "Guess what happened!" Whatever news he had must have been big, considering how he forgot to attach the usual endearment of "tan" at the end of their names.

Yukari looked none too interested. With her hands placed on her hips, she cocked her head and narrowed her eyes. "What?" she asked coolly. "Did a girl finally talked to you?"

Junpei gave her a look of mock hurt and replied, "Ouch Yuka-tan. You can never go a day without hurting a man's pride, can you?" Rather than baiting Yukari into their usual banter, Junpei brought them back to his earlier subject. "Anyway, back to what I was saying. The exams results are up, and you will not believe who got top spot!"

"Minato…?" Hamuko guessed. Her first guess had been Junpei due to his excitement, but she figured that was not possible. She had seen his quiz scores.

Junpei shook his head as his grin widened. "I won't say anything yet. Come see it for yourself!" He then proceeded to run out of the classroom, giving one small turnaround to coax Hamuko excitedly out the door.

When Junpei was finally out of sight, Yukari's brows furrowed. "I hope this isn't a prank of his," she muttered.

Hamuko smiled and replied, "Probably not. His acting gets much worse when he's up to something."

"That's true." Yukari blew at her fringe before turning to look at her red-eyed friend. "Shall we go take a look? I'm a bit curious as to what the others have gotten."

Hamuko nodded and got up to follow the light haired brunette out the door.

To avoid crowding within the halls, the results were posted up on the bulletin board just across the snack shop. Despite the large lobby, it did not stop students from massing near the wall in their attempt to look for their results and maybe a friend's. It was not just freshmen too, as many upperclassmen joined the group in an effort to look for their scores as well.

"Yo! Yukari, Hamuko!"

Both girls watched as Junpei stretched out a hand above him, like a beacon.

Giving the crowd another look, Yukari sighed. "I'm going to wait here," she said.

"You sure?" Hamuko grinned.

"I _am_ sure."

"Okay, I'll be right back then," Hamuko replied before she headed into the crowd, squishing her way in before reaching Junpei. Standing by him was Ryoji and Minato. "So what's the rush?"

Junpei gave her a quirky grin. "Take a look at the top three."

Hamuko frowned at him before looking at the list.

**1. Arisato Minato**

**1. Mochizuki Ryoji**

**1. Shujinko Hamuko**

They all got the same score, the same perfect score.

Hamuko turned to look at her friends, gauging their reactions.

Out of the four of them, Ryoji was the only one who looked uncomfortable.

* * *

**6/1/07**

After the initial shock of the exam scores died down, Iwatodai fell back into a state of normalcy.

Well…sort of.

"G-G-Ghost?" Yukari laughed nervously. "Yeah right! It's probably something some jerks made up. C'mon, there are no such things as ghosts…"

Mitsuru spoke, "I'm interested." There was a smile on her lips as she held up her cup to take a drink. "Go ahead, continue Iori."

Hamuko watched as Yukari bristled, the light haired brunette was incredibly uncomfortable with the topic.

"B-But it's made up, so why bother?" Yukari said again, her eyes darting nervously around the kitchen area. Even in the light, the mention of ghosts was enough to back her up into a corner of the walls. The sight was amusing to say the least, especially for Junpei, who could not keep a grin from forming.

Minato seemed to edge Yukari on. "Are we going to talk about the slit-mouth woman?" He inquired with an innocent look.

"MINATO-KUN!" Yukari practically shrieked, causing the blue haired student to duck his head instinctively. "I can't believe you're into this!"

Seemingly catching on, Akihiko turned to Junpei. "Go ahead," he said with a smirk. "I haven't heard a good ghost story in a while."

Hamuko looked on with an amuse smile as she spotted Yukari's crossed fingers and soundless praying. To her right, Shinjiro took a seat by the table, looking very uninterested in the gathering. Usually he was off to himself, leaning against the kitchen counter or standing around in the small office by the front. Today he decided to join them, mainly because they had already barged into his territory.

"Okay ladies and gents!" Junpei announced before reaching behind him and pulling out a flashlight.

Akihiko looked befuddled. "Where did you get a flashlight?" he asked.

Junpei grinned. "Hi-mi-tsu~" he answered before walking towards the kitchen wall and slapping the switches off. The kitchen fell into darkness, and Hamuko could almost hear a whimper coming from Yukari's direction.

"Junpei!" The light haired brunette seethed. "Did you really have to turn off the lights?"

"Ah c'mon!" The cap-wearing freshman whined. "It's not even a ghost story if it isn't told in the dark!" Flipping on the flashlight, he flashed it under his head and shined the light up towards the ceiling, allowing dark shadows to eerily sink into the curves of his face. "Ahem! Welcome to Junpei's 'Believe It, or Don't'! My story begins with a girl named Ayumi, who was dared to visit Gekkoukan at night. Upon arriving at the school, she heard a strange sound and then wandered deeper into the school's building. She heard the noise again and looked around, seeing nothing, she decide to return home. But as she turned around, there was the ghost!

The next day, the school gets a call from Ayumi's parents, who report her missing. Just as they were going to turn to the police, Ayumi was then found lying unconscious in front of the school gates. The students, who found her, say that the ghost was at fault. This is Junpei's…'Believe It, or Don't'." Switching off the flashlight, Junpei placed it on the table before going over to turn on the kitchen lights. Turning to the others, he grinned and asked, "So how was that?"

"Surprisingly decent," Minato commented with a small smile.

"Hmm…" Mitsuru mused for a moment before placing her cup down. "What do you think, Akihiko?"

"Sounds like a Shadow to me," Akihiko answered before sitting back in his seat. "We should investigate it."

"Are you sure about this?" Yukari asked as she shakily moved out from her corner. Her lips were pulled into a frown. "Maybe we're thinking a little too much into this."

"Awww, I didn't know you were so scared of ghosts Yuka-tan." Junpei grinned.

"I'm not!" Yukari seethed. "Fine! Let's investigate it. By the end of the week, let's meet back at the lounge and see what we have. I'll prove to you this nothing but a hoax! Minato-kun, Hamuko-chan, you're both in this too!"

Hamuko sighed.

* * *

**6/5/07**

That one-week passed by quickly.

It was rather disappointing for Hamuko, who could not get much information concerning the ghost story. No one at school liked her. On the other hand, the students who did tolerate her were not into rumors themselves. So after a day or two, she gave up and went to see how Minato was doing. Just as she expected, Minato gave up on the investigation from day one, considering he was not very sociable in the first place.

"Okay, let's start see what we learned about the ghost story," Yukari said, crossing her arms. "As it turns out, there was no real ghost."

"So that's important huh?" Junpei snickered, earning him a glare from the light haired brunette.

Yukari turned to look at Hamuko and Minato. "Anyway… Let's talk about how the rumor got started. Just how did the story spread so fast if this was the first time anything happened?"

"It was the ghost's fault," Minato replied, only to be smacked in the arm by Hamuko.

"Stop messing around," Hamuko scolded, sighing at his attempt in lightening the situation. Looking at Yukari, she spoke, "About the rumor spreading, obvious the disappearance has to happen more than once." She would know how rumors worked, considering all of the ones that circled around her at Gekkoukan.

Yukari nodded. "Correct," she explained, "There were actually two other female victims with similar cases to Ayumi. All three of them had been hospitalized after the incident, which had everyone talking. Now the thing is, all three of them had separate classes but had one thing in common. What is that?"

Junpei scratched his head. "Um, they're all girls?"

"No Junpei, that's not it." Yukari glared, seemingly catching on the fact that Junpei had forgone the investigation. "They hung out together. Not just once or twice either. Apparently they joined a bad crowd and would always be caught wandering around late at night. Oh and get this. Supposedly they were the last three to have seen Yamagishi-chan at school."

"No kidding?" Junpei asked as his eyes widened.

Yukari nodded. "That's what I heard, but I haven't gotten any proof. So we're going to do some field research."

"Aw man, we have to do research?" Junpei whined. "I already had enough of writing papers."

"Chill out Junpei," Yukari commented as her hands fell onto her hips. "All we're going to do is go to the place where those girls regularly visit. I heard it is near the Port Island Station."

"Port Island…wait!" Junpei took a step back in horror. "You mean _that_ place?"

"Oh, you're familiar with it?"

"What place?" Hamuko asked confused.

Junpei gritted and explained, "She wants us to go to the alley behind the station! That place is dangerous! I heard it's where all the gangs hang around to deal drugs and stuff. We can't go there! We'll be killed or worse!"

"It'll be fine." Yukari waved his concern off before turning to Minato and Hamuko. "You guys will come with us right?"

"No way! I'm not going!" Junpei shouted from the background.

Minato gave one look at Junpei before turning to Yukari and shrugging. "I don't mind," he answered.

"Thanks." Yukari smiled gratefully before she gave Hamuko an expectant look.

"_We shouldn't,"_ Hamuko thought as her red eyes directed themselves at the floor. "_We really shouldn't go there."_ Something about the whole situation seemed edgy. The feeling of déjà vu sent her head spinning, but she could not comprehend what was so familiar to her. The very mention of the back alley seemed to scare her to the core.

"_Back alley, back alley of Port Island Station…"_

"_Bad, bad!" _Pixie said in alarm. Hamuko could feel the flutter of wings brushing against the corners of her mind. The small petite Persona was not the only one who was on the rise. Eurydice seemed reluctant to let Hamuko go.

"_Why…?" _Why did her Personas seem so hesitant to visit such a place? She wanted to know.

Looking up, Hamuko gave a determined nod. "Sure! Let's go!"

* * *

"_Maybe this was a bad idea,"_ Hamuko thought to herself as she stood there by the alley's entrance. Her feet would not move. She remained standing there, her legs still like they had been trapped within slabs of concrete. The sickness within her chest did not leave, and she was having some trouble breathing. There was _something_ about this place that seemed important to her, yet she could not put her finger to it.

"…Last chance to bail out?" Junpei muttered hopefully before he turned to look at Hamuko. "Uh…you okay Hamu-tan?"

Hamuko blinked rapidly before her eyes met his. "Yeah…what's up?"

"You're shaking." He pointed out.

She had not noticed. There was a quake that rattled her bones, the strength leaving her body and leaving her hands clammy. Her legs buckled, and her muscles spasm uncomfortably. Giving Junpei a weak smile, she reassured him. "Don't worry; it's just the chills," she said.

"I don't blame ya." Junpei sighed as he interlaced his fingers and brought his hands behind his head. "I can't believe we're actually doing this." He walked forward.

Hamuko used up her last ounce of strength to move forward, her hands reaching out to grab Junpei's jacket. He did not seem to mind pulling her after him. If anything, he seemed to enjoy the attention and the thought of leading her after Minato and Yukari. As the group moved into the alley, the slight confidence that Junpei held, soon slipped off his face and was replaced with a look of insecurity.

They had now entered the danger zone.

Hamuko winced as the tip of her loafer made contact with an empty beer can, causing the cheap heap of tin to skip across the ground with a loud clatter, spinning to a stop near a few other trashed bottles. The area was deteriorated and unsanitary. Compared to the clean and white ashen sidewalks of Port Island, the concrete of the alleys were cracked and blackened from the butt of cigarettes and graffiti. There was even the occasional vomit corner or two. Hamuko held back a cough. The air was thick, harboring a bad odor of drugs and heavy smoke. To her discomfort, a few men -ragged and worn from the overuse of nicotine- looked up in response to the skittering sound of the kicked can.

The hell…? One of the men hawked before he turned his head to spit out a gob of mucus onto the cement.

Yukari looked disgusted and backed up behind Minato, watching wearily as the thugs around them came closer.

"Man. Check out those rags, they're from Gekko High!" bellowed a man from his spot along a fence. Getting up, he came towards them with a grin. "What are a bunch of smartass brats doin' in a place like here? Get out! This is our turf!"

"We don't need your permission to be here!" Yukari hissed out from behind Minato.

"What was that you dumb bitch!" the punk yelled.

Junpei panicked. "I think we should leave," he whispered to them.

Yukari shot him a dark look. "No way." She refused. "These pigs don't scare me!"

"Well I'm more scared of things like guns and knives!" Junpei argued. "Which is probably something they DO have!"

"Pigs?" A woman harped from near her comrade. "How cute. Is that all you got? Big words coming from a little girl like you." The crudely dressed woman gave a laugh. "Why don't you and your friends go play somewhere else?" She only seemed to laugh harder when the men moved to surround Hamuko and the others.

"You better learn how to control your girl, goatee." One of the punks came up before he promptly reeled back his fist and sent it forward, digging his knuckles into Junpei's stomach. Junpei bent forward from the blow, dry heaving as he tried getting air back into his lungs. Staggering, Junpei fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around his stomach in an attempt to protect himself from further assault.

"Junpei!" Yukari shouted in alarm before she squatted down to make sure he was okay.

Hamuko backed away from Junpei's conglobated form. The previous feeling of anxiety was soon replaced with anger at the cheap attack. If she had naginata with her, the punk would be singing a different tune. Unfortunately, she could not risk bringing weapons around Iwatodai, even with S.E.E.S's affiliation to Officer Kurosawa.

"What the hell are _you_ looking at, pretty boy?" The thugs were turning their attention to Minato this time. The blue haired student said nothing and simply stared them down with a slight condescending look. Peeved at Minato's lack of response, one of the delinquents reached forward and fisted the front of Minato's collar, bringing the student forward with the intention of punching him.

"Oi…!"

Everyone stopped. Just stopped.

"Oh shit, it's _him!"_ a punk cried out before he took off running, leaving his friends to face the new arrival.

"Shinjiro-sempai?" Yukari gaped.

Their sempai merely nodded at them in greeting before he turned his attention to the last of the thugs. His lips curled back into a silent snarl. "Leave," he ordered.

The grip on Minato's collar loosened and the thug pulled away from Hamuko and the others. His friend stood near him, both sneering at Shinjiro's taunt form. "Well look who's here. Aragaki Shinjiro, ain't it? That's right, you're with them Gekko brats. Just because you're a regular here, doesn't mean you have the right to be running us off. So you better watch that mouth of yours."

"Says who?" Shinjiro scoffed. "Sorry, but I don't take orders from idiots like you."

"What? Say that again, you son of a bitch!"

"I said that I don't-" Shinjiro gave pause as the angered thug ran towards him. Without so much of a thought, the tall sempai craned his neck back before bringing his head forward, slamming his skull against the assaulting punk before him. A resonating crack bounced across the alley walls, causing Hamuko and the others to wince as the attacker took the head-on collision. The injured thug gave out a weakened groan before he slumped onto the ground like a doll, no doubt unconscious.

"Y-you'll pay for this!" The other punks ran off, along with the whorish girls from before. Not one gave their fallen comrade a second glance.

Junpei was the first to break the silence.

"That. was. AWESOME!" Junpei cheered as the group ran over, seemingly fine now that the thugs were gone and he had caught his breath. It was a quick recovery, much to Hamuko's amazement.

Turning her attention to Shinjiro, Hamuko asked, "…Is your head okay, sempai?" She curiously watched as he rolled the unconscious thug away with a foot.

Shinjiro look not at all fazed from his last attack. Shaking off her concerns, he replied, "I'm fine. It wouldn't be the first time I butted heads with these dumbasses." Frowning, he regarded them with narrow eyes. "As for you guys, what the hell were you thinking? This isn't a place to be taking a stroll in!"

"It was Yukari's idea!" Junpei blurted, earning him a smack from said friend.

"We're here to get some information about the ghost story at school," Minato answered.

Shinjiro gave a scoff. "You wouldn't be the first. There's a student from our school that hangs around here. He's knows practically everything that goes around Gekkoukan, so I came to ask him about the rumor. Supposedly those three girls who were hospitalized had recently bullied that Yamagishi girl." His eyes narrowed as he muttered, "There's been a lot of stuff thrown around the net too. Everyone thinks that Yamagishi's spirit is looking for revenge."

"Wait…spirit?" Junpei gave him an incredulous look. "Are you serious?"

Shinjiro nodded. "Everyone thinks she's dead. The police, the school, not even her parents know where she is."

Hamuko bit her lip in worry. "She skipped class for a while before she stopped coming altogether…" she murmured.

"We know that the Shadows have a hand in this," Shinjiro said. "What I don't get is, how are those three girls still alive?"

"Oh right!" Yukari said, perking up at the notion. "It seems strange doesn't it? The three girls were attacked by Shadows, yet they live and attend school like normal. No side effects other than amnesia-"

"-and not turning into a vegetable." Junpei added, earning an elbow to his side for his rude interruption.

Minato raised a hand in question. "Do you think it might be the work of a Shadow, like the one from the monorail?" he asked.

Shinjiro grimaced. "Possibly," he said. "We don't know much about these things or how they work, so I can't say for sure. The only thing we can do now is to ask those girls about where they last saw Yamagishi."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

* * *

**6/8/07**

Apparently they were not the only ones doing their own investigation.

"Mitsuru-senpai?" Yukari asked as she looked at the redhead in surprise.

"Oh, you're finally here," Mitsuru said as she turned to look at them.

Hamuko shuffled past her friends in order to get a better look at the situation. Behind Ekoda's desk, she could see the form of a dark skin student resting on one of the teacher's chairs.

Curious, Hamuko asked, "Is she one of the bullies?"

Mitsuru nodded before she turned to address the student. "I'll ask again," she sternly told the girl. "What did you do to Yamagishi?"

"This isn't an interrogation, Mitsuru," Ekoda said before turning to dark skinned student. "You don't have to say anything you don't want to Natsuki." His suggestion only earned him a sharp glare from the student council president.

Fiddling nervously with her hands, Natsuki spoke, "We didn't mean for her to disappear! We were just going to mess with her a little bit by locking her up in the gym, but Maki went back to check on Fuuka because she was scared that we'd get in trouble if Fuuka committed suicide. Maki never came back, and we didn't see her till the next morning…"

Yukari grimaced as she murmured, "…That was when she was found in front of the school."

Natsuki nodded in distress. "I went to look for her the next night and unlocked the door, but I couldn't find Fuuka anywhere. Ayumi and I freaked out, so we started to visit the gym every night to see if we could find her."

"Which led to Ayumi's disappearance," Minato mused before he asked, "So were you one of the three who ended up in the hospital?"

Natsuki confirmed it with a yes and explained, "I went to the hospital after Maki. Ayumi was the last one to go to the gym."

"So if you're not Ekoda-sensei's student, why are you here?" Minato asked the girl before shooting Mitsuru a questionable look.

The redhead smoothly answered, "The other two refused to say anything about their hand in Yamagishi's disappearance. Moriyama was the only one who agreed to speak to us." At the sight of Minato's nod of understanding, Mitsuru turned back to Natsuki and asked, "About your friends, did you notice anything unusual before the incidents? …Anything at all."

"…They… They all heard a voice. They said it was calling their name."

Hamuko stood straighter as chills ran up her spine. The implications were all too clear.

The others seemed to figure it out as well, each holding their own grim expressions.

* * *

"Très bien!"

"Damn everyone and their lousy French," Junpei muttered as Minato and Hamuko stood by with amused looks.

Yukari sighed as she turned to regard Minato. "Could you stop antagonizing him? I swear…he gets more annoying when he's mad. …Where'd you learn French anyway?" she asked.

"Got a few lessons from a friend," Minato answered. "He's a transfer student."

Hamuko perked up. "The blond guy right?" she asked, to which he nodded. "Oh! I met him before! He greeted me in French when I passed by him down the halls. Such a nice guy~" She could not help but laugh at the memory.

There was a grunt behind them. "Are you guys done messin' around?"

"Shinjiro-sempai!" Hamuko beamed as she turned to address their lingering friend. "Can you and Akihiko-sempai speak French?"

The tall brunette let out a scoff. "Him? Speak French? He can't even speak English!" He chuckled and answered, "But yea I can speak French. Mitsuru practically schooled me in it when she invited me into S.E.E.S. She thought it was vital for Japanese students to be learning French."

"Huh?" Yukari looked confused as she asked, "Why is that?"

"Mitsuru's the heir to the Kirijo Company remember? Complete culture shock here. English is the majority, but she was taught to learn other languages due to her position. When she attended Gekkoukan, she had no idea that we had an option," Shinjiro explained, "It took some time to explain it to her, but she got it. Just…don't mention it to her. The results won't be pretty…"

"Interesting…" Hamuko mused before she smiled widely. "Say something in French!"

Shinjiro shot her an amused look before he asked, "Que voulez-vous que je fasse?"

Minato could not help but laugh as he told Shinjiro, "Your accent is thick."

The brunette merely shrugged as he commented, "French is not something I'm interested in."

"Even so…" Hamuko laughed. "I bet you'd get all the ladies if you talked like that in France!"

"That gives me every reason to avoid that place."

"Hey, what's the hold up?" Akihiko called from down the hall.

Realizing that they were left behind, the group ended their conversation in favor of catching up with the redhead and boxer.

"Sorry," Hamuko apologized. "We were talking about…Shadows."

Minato held back a laugh. "Yeah…Shadows," he said.

Mitsuru ignored their banter for the most part and got straight down to business. "First, we need to find the key to the gym. Akihiko, Shinjiro, and I will check the janitor's room. You four will check the Faculty office. After that, we'll meet in the main hallway. Got it?" she asked them.

Junpei had a large grin plastered to his face. "The Faculty Office, huh…? Hey, maybe we'll find some test questions! Hehehehe…."

Akihiko had a sly look. "Maybe I should go to the Faculty Office too. Sounds interesting…"

To their discredit, Mitsuru shot both males a look filled with fire and brimstone. "Are you planning something unscrupulous under my supervision? If so, expect to be severely punished," she said before she did that one thing with the hips that all angered females were known for. With arms crossed and her waist raised to one side, the boys immediately regretted their actions.

"H-H-Hey it was a joke!" Junpei said as he waved his hands up in surrender.

Akihiko sweated. "Lighten up Mitsuru…"

"Change of plans then." Mitsuru huffed. "Iori, Akihiko, you're coming with me. Shinjiro will go with the others."

"That's a lot of people." Yukari brought up.

The redhead nodded and explained, "The Faculty Office is rather large. We'll locate the key quicker if there are more of you searching for it. …Minato?"

"Yes ma'am?" Minato asked.

"You're in charge."

"Got it."

With her work done, Mitsuru pivoted on her heels and walked off. Following after her were the hesitant forms of Junpei and Akihiko.

* * *

Waiting in the gym had been the worst idea they ever had.

The Dark Hour inched closer, and their groups had split up into teams. Shinjiro was with Akihiko while Hamuko was grouped with Junpei and Minato. Mitsuru had waited outside with Yukari, in a form of backup in case something did happen to the rest of them. There were some rebuttal from Yukari, but she ceased her complaints once she was reminded of Fuuka's situation. If anything were to happen to the rest of them, they would need Yukari to help heal the injured. So it was vital that she did not get sent on the rescue team, where she could potentially get killed or separated.

And they did get separated.

Hamuko distinctly remembered the room taking the sickly green tinge of the Dark Hour before the floors rumbled beneath her. It almost felt like she was on a runaway elevator that shot towards the sky at breakneck speeds. Floors cracked, separating everyone as crevasses were formed and the platforms started to tilt and jut outward. The change of environment was sudden, and Hamuko let out a wince as she fell back onto her spine in her effort not to slide into the drop. As the buildings leaned over her, spreading out and creating the familiar expanse of sky she was known to see in Tartarus, Hamuko felt a harsh pull on her limbs. Tartarus was separating her from the others, very much like last time. Numerous invisible hands pulled at her body, dragging her across the expansive floor. Hamuko panicked, and she struggled against the invisible forces, digging her nails into the cracks of the tiles as the hands continued to pull her towards the edge.

"It's okay."

She gasped. "_Pharos?"_ Her head snapped back as she looked up. The platform was toppling over, and she caught form of the small child who stood before the blanket of night sky. The bright eerie moon behind Pharos gave his form a deathly pale glow.

He smiled at her. "You can let go," he said.

"_But I'll drop_." Her mind argued, her eyes wavering.

"I know." He gave her that same enigmatic smile. "But you'll be fine. So go on, I'll be waiting for you at the end."

The rational part of her mind screamed no. The fear and adrenaline that pumped through her veins gave her the strength to hold onto the platform, despite Tartarus' desperate attempt in tearing her away. Hamuko knew that the longer she kept doing this, the hazardous the results will be. Holding on meant that she would eventually be ripped in two, torn apart and scattered across the base of the school at the end of the Dark Hour.

So she followed the reassurance of Eurydice and the others. Pharos had never been wrong before. He was always there, guiding her.

Why would he stop now?

Hamuko smiled before she let go.

* * *

Setton: A bit shorter than others, but I figured this would be a good place to end the chapter. Unfortunately I do not know French, and I had to look up the translation over the net. Shinjiro should be saying, "What do you want me to do", but I am unsure if it is accurate.


	10. Innocent Sin

Setton: I'm back! Though I don't know for how long. Taking three studios next semester, which will literally eat up my entire day. Not to mention I have to take care of my mom and drive her to and from the clinic. In any case, enjoy the new chapter!

* * *

Innocent Sin

"…_Didn't I tell you not to cry anymore?"_

"_Stupid sempai! You're so stupid, stupid, STUPID!"_

"_Hey don't be like that. C'mon…give me a smile."_

"…"

"_Yeah, just like that…"_

"…_Sempai?"_

"…"

"Sempai…?" Hamuko mumbled, her eyes fluttering open. She was met with a green ceiling. There was no one around her yet she could have sworn she heard Shinjiro talking to her. Was she just dreaming it all?

Hamuko carefully sat up and rubbed at her temples. "_So many questions…"_ she thought before she felt a draft of cool air. To her right was an exit, where the floor elongated outwards to meet the side of another tower. It was a bridge – a hazardous one – with no suspensions, pillars, or buttresses. There was nothing to keep it from falling except for Tartarus' strange sense of physics. She had two choices – walk deeper into the labyrinth or trapeze towards the next area.

She frowned as she tapped the receiver attached to the collar of her uniform. There was not even an ounce of static coming off of the small communicator. Was it broken? Or maybe she was too high up… She did not remember breaking it. Perhaps she was too high off the ground and could not catch Mitsuru's frequency. The theory sounded plausible – so what about the others? Did they have the same problem as well? She at least hoped they were together. There was no telling how powerful the Shadows were on this floor, much less the next.

Underneath the blast of the howling winds, Hamuko could have sworn she heard the dragging of chains.

She paused and wondered if she misheard.

…

No it was definitely there.

Hamuko got up onto her feet and looked down the hall that led deeper into the tower. "Hello…?" she called out hesitantly, "Is anyone there?"

The rattling got closer.

Hamuko laughed nervously. "Is that you Pharos? C'mon, this isn't funny…" Her Personas brushed against the edges of her mind – restless and disturbed. Their concerns did not faze her; she had grown used to their erratic behaviors by now. What did unnerve her was the awakening of Thanatos. Usually he did not pay much attention to the clamor of her fellow Personas. Not unless there was a threat on her life. The fact reminded her all too well of Thanatos' reaction to Akihiko and Polydeuces.

She reached inwardly to press a steady hand against Thanatos' helmet, hoping redirect his attention to her and make him lose interest. Thanatos made his irritation known by pushing her mental-self away. Her efforts were futile.

He was wide-awake now.

Hamuko turned her attention back to the halls with a frown as she felt him peer through her eyes.

"Go back to sleep," Hamuko told him. He ignored her of course and proceeded to watch the halls before her.

The rattling soon became a loud banging – as if the chains were hitting walls. Hamuko tensed as a large ghostly figure rounded the corner and came within sight. The stench of copper and gunpowder swept through the halls, causing her to recoil and cover her nose. She took in the sight of the creature, taking note of the bloodied bandages that wrapped its head, leaving only a glowing eye to peer back at her. It was cloaked in a long coat where the ends flapped about – revealing that it was missing a large portion of its body. Gripped within both of its hands was a pair of long-barrel revolvers.

Hamuko was given little time to gather her wits before Thanatos snapped. There was a sharp crack that tore through her mind, causing her to cry out as Thanatos attempted to force himself out once more. There was no warning and Hamuko could not prepare herself for the backlash from his forceful expulsion.

Thanatos projected himself forward upon materializing, and he brought his weapon down upon the Reaper. A flare of red lines danced across the ground and tore the floor tiles as Thanatos proceeded to send an Akasha Art at the Shadow. The Reaper howled as it was thrown back into the wall, but it quickly recovered and aimed its revolvers in the direction of Death. Sparks erupted from the barrels of the gun, and Thanatos staggered back as the projectiles tore through his coat and pierced his form. Black spewed from his wounds, and Thanatos hissed as he took shelter behind the coffins that circled his form.

"Pixie!" Hamuko called out, only to wince when a gunshot rang out and she could only watch as her familiar was torn to pieces above her. The creature, whatever it was, was eyeing her. She glared back defiantly before she reached for another one of her Personas. "Eurydice!" she shouted, throwing her hands up. The golden-coated Persona appeared – only able to offer Hamuko a comforting glance before bullets tore through Eurydice's metal frame.

The ruby-eyed student took one look at the Reaper just in time to see it hold pointing its weapon in her direction, clearly agitated by her attempts in calling reinforcements. Hamuko yelped and she ducked just in time to hear the ping of a bullet as it ricocheted off the walls. She brushed her bangs away in a hurry, peering through her fingers to see Thanatos' engaging the Reaper once more. The muscles in his arms contracted as he attempted to redirect the Reaper's weapons away from her.

"_We can't stay here,"_ Hamuko thought as she looked at the only exit behind her. Thanatos seemed disgruntled, almost offended by the appearance of the creature before them. Whatever the problem was, she was not going to stay here to nurse his ego. They could not afford it. Hamuko could already feel her mind straining in its attempts to keep her awake and steady.

So when Thanatos would not listen to words, Hamuko used actions against him.

She ran.

She pumped her legs as hard as she could as she sprinted down the hall and out towards the suspending bridge outside. The cold night air hit her hard and she had little time to process how dangerous it was for her to be running among the skyscrapers. It would be a long and messy drop if she were to fall. There were no platforms in sight. Stakes below reached up to her with waiting arms, glistening red in the green moonlight.

Thanatos was not happy – if his snarls were anything to go by.

Hamuko looked over her shoulder and yelped when she caught sight of Thanatos charging down the runway after her. She ran faster, thinking Thanatos would only pull her back into the fray. She barely reached the second tower before Thanatos' shadow fell over her. Her breath was knocked out of her when she felt the large arms of Thanatos wrapping around her middle. His embrace did not come without a price and he squeezed her against him, driving all the oxygen out of her body. Death growled out a warning before he loosened his grip and allowed her to inhale. She would hate to see what else he had in mind should she try running off again, so she simply went limp in his grasp, allowing him to do what he willed. To her relief Thanatos did not return for the Reaper, and he proceeded to charge at the entrance to the second tower.

With one hand brought out before him, Thanatos literally crashed through the closed door, tearing it from the walls and sending it skidding across the ground. Of course Tartarus was never without its surprises. Flying projectiles slowed to a stop in the air before reversing their flight. The broken door melded back together; flying past the two as it settled itself back into its original spot as if the two had never tore it down in the first place.

It was as if time had reversed itself.

Hamuko only gave the repaired wall one look of disbelief before she whipped her head around at the sound of laughter.

"_You said you were hungry right? C'mon I'll treat ya."_

"I know this place…" Hamuko muttered as Thanatos gently set her down before him. His time was up and he gave no struggle as his form dissipated behind her. The throbbing in her eyes returned full force, indicating that she needed to rest. Hamuko ignored the signs and stepped forward, nearly falling flat on her face when her shoes caught the cracks of the sidewalk. Thankfully she caught herself, her palms hitting the ground hard as she stared at the traditional sleeves that cloaked her arms.

A…kimono?

Hamuko stood straight up realizing that she was indeed wearing a kimono and not her school uniform. From the bright colors and the sound of nearby laughter, Hamuko guessed she was attending a festival of sort. Was it another test? Another bizarre room that Tartarus frequently flung at her and her friends? Why was she the only one experiencing the most of it?

The ruby-eyed girl frowned before stepping forward, only shiver as her right foot met the cold planes of the sidewalk. She looked down to see the problem, taking note of the sandal's strap that had broken off during her unexpected fall.

"You alright?"

Hamuko's head whipped around at the familiar baritone voice. "Shinjiro-sempai!" She brightened upon seeing him – her cheerfulness was soon replaced by confusion when she caught sight of his coat.

The very coat he could not wear because he specifically gave it to her.

Shinjiro raised a brow at her warm display but nonetheless walked over to her. "Take a seat over there," he told her as he reached down to pluck the broken sandal. She did as she was told, awkwardly hopping over to the shrine's borders and proceeded to sit on the wall.

"I take my eyes off you one moment and your already breaking things," Shinjiro joked as he came over, bending down so he could slip the shoe under her foot. Reaching into his pockets, he pulled out a handkerchief and proceeded to tie a knot around the broken ends of the sandal. She watched him, slightly put off by his reaction. This was not right; their meeting should have been less than casual.

Shinjiro pulled back after tying the knot and proceeded to stuff his hands into his pockets. There was a curve to his spine – one that she had not noticed before – and his appearance was less than attractive. He relatively had the same attributes but he looked…older, more worn out and there were notable bags under his eyes. His looks alone were enough to convince her that she was still in Tartarus – experiencing something. Was it an illusion or something that the Shadows have thought of? It irritated her, knowing that she hardly had a basic understanding of this place, much less its inhabitants.

"What's with that face?" Shinjiro barked out a laugh.

Hamuko dropped her pout. "Nothing!" she chirped. Fine, if the Shadows wanted to play - bring it on!

Her sempai stared at her skeptically before he replied, "Then go find the others. You're just wasting time sitting here with me." At the end of his sentence he fell into fitful coughs. It was not the type of cough one would hear when someone was trying to clear his or her throat. Instead it sounded sicklier, untamed as it reverberated from his throat.

She could not help but wince at the hoarseness and did not question him. He was insistent in sending her off with that glare of his, and she followed his advice by running up the steps of Naganaki shrine to obtain more answers. The crowd that met her at the top of the stairs did not surprise her. There were people everywhere; some dress in kimonos and others in casual or uniform. Hamuko spotted a few familiar faces belonging to her classmates and did not get far before a ball of barking fur barreled into her legs. She reached down carefully to pull the animal away from her and realized that it was simply a small dog. There was a collar attached to him along with the written address of the Dorm scrawled across the metal tag.

"_How strange…"_ she thought. She did not remember the dorm taking in a dog. Hamuko gave the tag another look, taking in the name "Koromaru" before she proceeded to browse the stands. The dog followed her obediently, keeping space between it and her heels. The shiba did not run off, merely followed her as it continued its vigorous tail wagging. It was not long before she came across Junpei and his friend Kenji. The two greeted her, exchanging idle chat but nothing so significant to warrant her much attention.

"Where's Minato?" she asked. In fact, where was Ryoji?

Junpei and Kenji blinked simultaneously before regarding each other with confusion.

"Who…?" Junpei asked, scratching his head.

She stared at him in disbelief. "You know…Minato? Arisato Minato?" She reminded him. "He sits next to you in class?"

"Uh…did you eat too much sugar today Hamu-tan?" Junpei laughed. "There's no one in our class named Minato, or at least not that I know of… And you sit next to me remember?"

A lie. One she was sure to prove but kept to herself.

Hamuko left the boys to own devices and proceeded to skim the crowds for someone she would be able to depend on for answers. A flash of red hair and a familiar feminine laugh directed her attention to the source. She spotted Mitsuru before the others, smiling rather colloquially at Yukari and two other girls. Hamuko recognized the green haired girl to be Fuuka, the very classmate that everyone had traverse Tartarus to find. Despite the paleness of skin, Fuuka was laughing merrily – her cheeks pink with a healthy glow.

"_Alive and well…"_ Hamuko observed the girl. That was not right. No one should be able to waltz around Tartarus for hours without a single scratch on his or her person. Whatever this was, she doubted the Shadows had a hand in it.

She was neither dead nor dumb.

Hamuko did not approach the others, merely watched them until her eyes were drawn towards the blond female who was speaking to Yukari. She looked foreign and had the prettiest blue eyes. The stranger looked back at her, aware of the stare, and perked up at the sight of Hamuko. The blond smiled at her, chuffed.

Thanatos hissed a warning and Hamuko found her vision of the girls blurring as she caught sight of the dark figure standing behind them.

The Reaper stared her down and she felt a rising panic as it raised its weapons. Hamuko fled at the sound of the gunshot and pushed everyone out of her way. She ignored the shouts and the angry curses that were thrown at her as she ran for her life. No one was running as bullets hailed across the asphalt and there was only a sense of confusion as everyone shot her concerned and perplexed looks. The only one who seemed to be panicking was the barking dog at her heels.

The straps of her broken sandal came undone, and Hamuko proceeded to discard her shoes after nearly tripping down the stairs. The streets were cold and became even colder when she reached the bottom of the steps where Shinjiro was waiting. His head snapped up and looked very much surprised by her sudden appearance. He got up quickly upon the sight of Koromaru, the dog who was anxiously barking by Hamuko's bare feet.

"What–" Shinjiro began, but Hamuko only shot him a parting look before she darted off and ignored the calls behind her.

* * *

She was right about earlier. What she saw and experienced was not the real thing. Sense directed her towards the Dorm, and Hamuko entered the building to find herself back in her uniform. The kimono was nowhere in sight and her shoes returned. Instead of the homely atmosphere of the lounge, Hamuko found herself lost in a labyrinth of green hallways.

Hamuko reached out and trailed her fingers along the walls as she walked on. "Here, I play as Theseus," she murmured as her heart thrummed.

"And I, Ariadne…"

Hamuko whipped around, only to let out a relieved sigh at the sight of Pharos.

He smiled at her before cocking his head. "…Or rather, is it the other way around?"

"Pharos!" she snapped, her hands automatically coming to her hips. The little phantom flinched and ducked his head as he regarded her with wide-eyes and confusion. That did not stop her from marching over to him and pinching his cheeks between her fingers. "You little brat!" she told him while forcing his lips into a grin. "I can't believe you left me all alone! I was freaking out ever since I woke up!"

"I zot you zidn't need me," he replied and rubbed his cheeks after Hamuko released him.

"I sometimes wonder about you," Hamuko told him while rubbing her forehead. "Your knowledge about everything…its rather concerning."

Pharos frowned. "I can't explain how I know these things, I just do. …Is that wrong?"

"No Pharos." Harmuko sighed as she dropped to her knees and brought him into a hug. "I'm just worried about what it all means." She felt him hug back and she asked, "How about we make use of that head of yours right now. What was that thing back there?"

"That Shadow?" he confirmed, to which she nodded. "It is called The Reaper. All I know is that it's a Shadow that falls under the Death Arcana and seems to take particular interest in you. The moment you were separated from the others, it went after you."

Hamuko pulled back from Pharos and sniffed. "Hope I don't see it anytime soon."

Pharos offered her a small smile. "Tartarus is ever changing. If you keep moving, it will have a harder time reaching you."

"Which reminds me, we need to keep moving." Hamuko said as she got up and took a hold of Pharos' hand. "Do you know where the Minato and the others are?" The little boy nodded before he proceeded to lead her down the hallway. She paid special interest to the Shadows that they passed by. It was rather strange and a little frightening at how the Shadows would run off after catching sight of Pharos, who seemed rather ignorant to their reactions. His concerns seemed to fall on her rather than the hazards around him. Why did he stick with her in the first place? She had always wondered. He would most likely reply with a shrug had she asked him.

She decided to avoid the thought and focus on what happened prior to their meeting. "When I entered that last room, what did I just see?"

Pharos looked over his shoulder. "A memory."

"Are you serious?" Hamuko asked in disbelief. "That looked nothing like a memory. I would know for sure if I ever went to a festival with the others."

"But you did." He was insistent despite the troubled look on his face. "I mean – you did once. I know you did…" It was almost as if he was second guessing himself, and he went quiet.

Figuring the question would only bring on more confusion, Hamuko decided to change the topic. "What do you know about Tartarus?" she asked. "What is Tartarus?"

Pharos perked up at the question, elated that he would be able to answer something he knew. "Tartarus is a gateway into the Shadows' world. It is a place that is not affected by law or time. It is also the edifice for something important, something that affects you and me." He did not expand as to why it was important, and she figured that was the best she was going to get.

"How do we get rid of it?" Hamuko essentially asked.

Pharos answered, "It's too soon to tell."

* * *

**6/9/07**

Last night seemed almost a blur. So many things had happened and Hamuko was too exhausted to even recall. Minato was in a similar case. They all were. There was some good news on the other hand. They managed to stop not only two of those strange Shadows but also saved the missing girl – Fuuka – along long the way. Her return of course brought in a mass of new rumors to Gekkoukan, ones that S.E.E.S could not help but roll their eyes at.

"How is she?" Hamuko asked Minato during their lunch break. Junpei was unable to join them. He had been called into the office earlier about his recent test scores and loafing around in class.

Minato answered, "Akihiko-sempai said that Yamagishi-san was admitted into ICU per Mitsuru's request."

"ICU? Was it that bad?"

"I think it's more of a safety measure," Minato explained as he picked at his food. "Yamagishi-san was in Tartarus longer than any of us have. Plus, you've seen what happened to that Moriyama girl. Who knows if any Shadows have gotten ahold of Yamagishi-san's mind?"

Hamuko groaned. "I really hope not. The last thing we need is a Shadow living in our dorm."

"…So, did you find out anything out?" Minato gave her a meaningful look.

She told him about what happened to her during their separation, partially because she needed information. Minato was the ideal person to ask when she considered his Wildcard status. He had privileges and access to things that a mundane human like Yukari and Junpei did not. Unfortunately, Minato did not have the answers she sought and was just as stumped as she was. That was until he suggested her to ask Igor.

So she did…or at least tried to. The Velvet Room was empty, and Hamuko went for the next best thing.

"Memories…?" Theodore's expression turned sour and he looked towards his sisters for advice. Hamuko would note the cynical grins on their faces before Elizabeth and Margaret proceeded to ignore their own little brother. He sighed at them out of exasperation, his vexation showing clearly on his face.

As the two sisters left to attend approaching customers, Theodore turned back to Hamuko with a defeated look. "I can't say that I know much about what you have seen," he told her before noticing the narrowing of her eyes. "W-What's with that face?"

Hamuko dropped the look and gave a deep sigh. "I'm sorry; I'm just a little frustrated. Whenever something comes up, I can never get the answers until sometime later."

"Then perhaps waiting is the best option," Theodore advised.

"Only time will tell, huh…" Hamuko muttered as she proceeded to run her fingers through her hair, fixing her pins as she thought about Theodore's answer. Did she have any choice but to wait it out? Pharos had the strangest case of amnesia, Minato was in the dark as she was, and Theodore had no information regarding her "memory" encounter. Maybe she should give up on her investigation and focus on S.E.E.S main objective – the destruction of Tartarus and removal of Shadows.

Finalizing her decision, Hamuko bid Theodore farewell before she left for the exit.

"Just a moment Hamuko-sama!" Theodore called, and Hamuko felt him grab her wrist. He quickly grew flustered upon realizing that he had addressed her by her respective title once more. It was an old habit that he seemed to have trouble breaking. "M-My apologies, but I would like to make a request," he said in response to her expectant look.

"Sure, what's the request?" the bemused girl asked.

"Another date if you will," Theodore asked, looking quite pleased as he released her. "I'm rather curious about what goes on within a club. …Why are you laughing?"

"Sorry," Hamuko's apologized despite her obvious mirth. "It's just that I can't see you as someone who would go to a club. Maybe it's because of how you're dressed."

Theodore picked at his sleeves consciously. "I assume this state of dress is discouraged?"

"Well…not exactly, but it is certainly not something anyone would wear," Hamuko explained as she rocked back and forth onto her heels. "People who go to clubs are more casually dressed. T-shirts and jeans would be the typical attire." Maybe even less, but she was not going to tell him that.

"I see," Theodore murmured as he dropped his hand. "Then will you mind helping me find something suitable to wear?"

"I don't mind at all," Hamuko answered with a bright smile, which only grew wider when Theodore offered his hand to her.

"Theo," called Margaret.

Hamuko took Theodore's hand as the two turned to look up at the older sibling. The blond woman was leaning on the counter, her eyes regarding the two sternly before she addressed Theodore.

"Don't forget," Margaret reminded.

Hamuko watched Theodore's face, wondering if she was eavesdropping on something personal as Theodore's expression morphed into something more predatory. He looked irritated, as if he had heard the same words spoken to him over and over again.

Theodore's hand tightened over Hamuko's and he coolly replied with, "Goodbye Margaret," before he led Hamuko out of the door.

"_What could she mean…?"_ Hamuko wondered.

* * *

…

…

The women could not stop staring.

"Is something wrong?" Theodore asked as Hamuko proceeded to count the number of eyes that were on the both of them.

Hamuko shrugged off the question before she continued to help him find something to wear. There was a small pile of clothing placed nearby, all the same hue, which revealed Theodore's penchant for blue. While the color may be flattering on him, Hamuko's eyes were growing rather weary at the sight of it due to her weekly visits into the Velvet Room. So she picked a few long sleeved sweaters – black and sleek. The color may be overrated, but it went well with everything. She also threw a few slacks onto the pile, refusing to pick up a single pair of jeans because she was unused to seeing him wearing something so 21st century.

She later ushered him into the changing rooms while she stood guard outside – her hands on her hips as her eyes dared any woman to come closer. Only a few younger women dared to approach and stand behind some racks as they peered promiscuously over at the changing rooms. Hamuko had to roll her eyes before she took a seat nearby and waited for Theodore's exit.

There was a tap on her shoulder and Hamuko rolled her head back in order to see who it was.

"Minato?" Hamuko blinked in surprise, finding her classmate to be dressed in his casual white and blue T-shirt and fitting blue jeans. Slung around his neck was his ever-familiar earphones and mp3 player. She never really saw him out of uniform, so this was a first. "What are you doing here?"

The blue haired teen merely shrugged before he took a bite out of his vanilla ice cream. "I have nothing to do," he commented as he moved around her seat in order to sit next to her. "I saw you sitting here when I was coming out from the café." He motioned to the clear plane windows that allowed customers to gaze in and out as they window-shopped around the area. "What about you? What are _you_ doing here?"

"Theo requested to go to a club, so I'm here to help him shop for clothes," Hamuko said.

Minato looked at her as if the mere thought of it was a bad idea. "You're sure you want to do that?"

"Do what…? Shop for clothes?"

"No, I mean bringing him to a club." Minato grimaced. "I brought Elizabeth once, and she practically danced right outside the closed Escapade."

Hamuko could not help herself and fell into a round of laughter.

He looked at her with partial annoyance. "Elizabeth seems determined to embarrass me in every 'date' I take her on. It's like she has a personal vendetta against me."

"Don't say that." Hamuko swatted his arm. "She's only teasing. Elizabeth is really nice actually."

"I guess…" Minato muttered as he finished off his cone, looking down onto the ground in contemplation. "Can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

He mulled over his thoughts for a moment before inquiring. "Does it ever seem like they're hiding something from you? There are times where I catch Elizabeth just staring at me with this guilty look in her eyes. Then when she notices me looking, she plays it off like nothing happened."

"Sounds similar to…Theodore," Hamuko said. "He acts just like that and never answers me whenever I ask."

"I have a feeling they are doing this to protect us," he told her, "but its rather concerning."

She knew the feeling all too well.

There was the sound of a turning knob and Theodore walked out of the dressing room while fixing the cuffs on his wrists, smoothing out the folds. Even in a loosened up black shirt, buttons meticulously done and all, Theodore was a sight for eyes. The black gave him a dangerous yet enigmatic feel, contrasting greatly with his white hair and bright yellow eyes. He was foreign, mysterious, and all so powerful. He turned heads for sure but cared little for the number of eyes that preyed on his every move.

Theodore approached Hamuko and asked, "Will this do?"

She beamed. "Of course! I swear – you could have been a model if you weren't Igor's assistant."

"I'm not going to reduce the prices of the compendium if that's what you're hoping," Theodore remarked with a serene smile.

Hamuko's cheeks immediately puffed and she shot him a look of faux displeasure.

The avatar of power chuckled before his eyes turned to regard Minato, and he grew tense. Theodore's lips thinned into a frown and his stare became sharp. "Greetings, Minato-sama," he said curtly.

Minato regarded the assistant pensively and reflexively returned his hands into his pockets. "Same to you," he replied, though it sounded reluctant.

Hamuko looked back and forth between them, wondering what brought on the blatant hostility the two had for one another. Minato had never mentioned Theodore once whenever Minato visited Elizabeth. The same could be said for Theodore, who initially mentioned his dislike of the blue-haired Wildcard but never spoke much of it thereafter.

She sighed before she told Minato, "Why don't you head back to the dorm first? I'll follow in a bit once I get Theo situated with everything."

Minato took one look at her before his eyes turned towards the menacing stare of the crowd. At the sound of emerging gossip, he shook his head and looked at her in the eyes. "Go ahead and finish up. I'll wait for you."

Hamuko noticed the whispers and gave a nod of her head. "Un!" She then took Theodore's gloved hand in hers before steering him back to the dressing room to retrieve the rest of the clothes they wished to purchase. Minato followed after them like a shadow, and Theodore had a look of understanding on his face.

She could not help but smile.

* * *

"–wrong with the cameras?"

Hamuko really did not mean to pry. It was more or less an accident. She wanted to inform Mitsuru about her inability to join for any training in Tartarus for tonight, due to Theodore's request. While the redhead may not be her mother, Hamuko figured it would be sensible to tell the S.E.E.S. president just in case anything happened or any Shadows roamed about. She doubted that leaving a message would go well with her sempai, so she chalked up the nerve to speak to the upperclassman herself.

Her courage was shot down when she overheard Akihiko's mention of cameras. A moment of panic struck her, and she hoped that Mitsuru had not found out about her field trip to Minato's room.

That was the least of her worries.

Hamuko pulled the door open just slightly enough to peak in onto he two figures inspecting the large console before them. Akihiko was slumped over the controls with one arm holding him up as he peered intently onto the screen.

Mitsuru sighed. "I've checked the systems at least twice a day and there is nothing wrong with it. I don't understand." She shook her head with a frown. "There are days where it would work perfectly. Then there are nights where there are just gaps within the timeframe." The redhead fiddled with a few buttons before she pulled up a video log. "Here, watch this."

Hamuko did her best to crane her head to the side, angling her face so that her eyes could catch the images on the screen. To Hamuko's surprise, it was a video of her reading a book under a lamplight. She could not exactly see the date of when the video was taken, but Hamuko knew it was moments before the arrival of the Dark Hour. The video continued playing before the screen suddenly went black. Akihiko did not make a noise as he straightened and crossed his arms in thought.

"It's still going," Mitsuru informed him and the room fell into silence once more.

About ten minutes passed before the screen flared back to life and Hamuko found herself watching the sleeping form of her figure.

"Take a look at the time," Mitsuru said as she motioned to the timestamp changing in the corner.

"The camera was still on the whole ten minutes," Akihiko muttered as his brows furrowed in confusion. "I don't get it. We didn't see anything blocking the camera and we know that it's not a malfunction. So how…"

"_Pharos, that's how."_ Hamuko realized.

Mitsuru cut in. "It isn't just her room either. While hers are the most frequent, these 'blanks' have been appearing in both the lounge area and Arisato's bedroom."

Hamuko perked up. Minato's bedroom…? Then that would mean…

She pulled away from the door, not sure what to feel about the information she had just been given.

* * *

Girls outside of Gekkoukan were just as scary as those who were.

Theodore surely did not appreciate their efforts to –in his words- woo him either. There was one thing about physical contact; manageable distance between strangers was tolerated – while outright throwing oneself at an avatar of power would guarantee a Megidoroan to the face. Theodore was fortunate enough to have sense not to despite how much Hamuko wished it. Instead, he took a rather discrete way of handling things.

With her arms wrapped around his, it was rather hard to miss the oppressive aura that came from him. The feeling came about instantly, like a flick of a switch, and Hamuko looked at Theodore in surprise. His eyes were narrowed and shined under the lights of Paulownia Mall. Thankfully his stare was not for her and he regarded the women – who were plastered to his sides – with chilling contempt. The cattish women quickly skittering away like roaches as their coy teasing was replaced by apparent fear and distrust. No one dared to come closer and they left an open path for Hamuko and Theodore to enter without furthermore interruptions.

When they entered under the streaming lights and stage-smoke, Hamuko could not help but think that there was something familiar about the way Theodore changed. It reminded her very much of Minato during a battle, where he would switch between one Persona to another.

Then it hit her.

"D-Did you just use one of _my_ Personas?" Hamuko gapped at her escort.

Theodore's mood defaulted instantly at her inquiry. His chest rumbled as he chuckled. "My apologies but it was the only way I knew how to dissuade them."

"Maybe something that didn't involve so much Death," she quipped; astonished at the fact that Theodore managed to use her Persona – not a copy like Minato's – but _her_ own Persona. "Are you a Wildcard too?"

He answered, "Something of that sort yes. Though my powers are somewhat limited to the bonds I have with the denizens of the Velvet Rooms. As your personal assistant, I have access to your compendium and within it – your masks." His lips were pulled up into what seemed to be a smug smile. "If you'd indulge me, I'd like to teach you a skill that you may find useful on your journey."

She agreed heartily before the two made their way up to the second floor and locate a small corner to sit in. Hamuko bounced her full weight on the seats, giggling as she clambered over to the side of the wall in order to give Theodore some space to sit down. They were at the end of the room, just overhead the stage and band set below them. Here they would be able to talk in private and watch the whole room should they wished.

Hamuko watched curiously as Theodore proceeded to remove one of his gloves before offering his hand to her. She took his hand with one of her own and was rather surprised by the heat of his skin.

_Crack!_

She perked up at the change of atmosphere. Theodore held his smile as she attempted to figure out what he had set before her.

A hint of mischievousness but filled with good intentions.

"Pixie…?" Hamuko questioned him.

Theodore praised her, "Very good".

Another change washed over them and Hamuko was surprised to find herself mirroring Theodore's every blink and twitch. A subtle calm fell over her – familiar and with a bit of melancholy. The longing for companionship tugged at her heart, and Hamuko answered with "Eurydice".

He nodded to her before changing Personas once more. She struggled this time to pinpoint which Persona he had drawn up.

"Abbadon," he told her, "none of your own actually".

"Yours then…?" She breathed as the negative presence slowly faded back into the recesses of his mind. The power she felt was…incredible. To think that it was just sample of what he was truly capable of. In essence she was glad that he was not her enemy, she could not imagine facing something so strong at this point in time.

She winced without meaning to and Theodore's expression melted into one of concern. "I see," he muttered. "Accept my sincerest apologies. I did not mean to tempt Death so soon." Another change rippled over him and Hamuko felt the familiar presence of her Loa within the room.

Thanatos only seemed to grow angrier.

"How strange," Theodore said as he defaulted. "Normally Personas within the same Arcana find comfort amongst one another. Death is growing rather irritable."

"You mean Thanatos?" Hamuko asked before she released his hands and rubbed her head. "He's been like that all day. I think it's because of what happened in Tartarus last night. We fought some sort of weird Shadow…though it did not look like one. I really don't know what it is, but I forced Thanatos to run away. As you can tell he's not too happy."

"…You've encountered The Reaper." Theodore's eyes narrowed. "It is a Shadow that falls under the Death Arcana. For it to attack so blatantly, it must have been eager to get rid of Death."

Hamuko spoke up. "…So you're saying that _thing_ was trying to undermine Thanatos?" Her brows furrowed in confusion. "Undermine what exactly…? What's so special about my Persona that it warrants a stalker? Why do you keep calling him Death? I know my Persona falls under the Death Arcana but you keep referring to him as if he's–"

Her eyes shut tightly as pain ripped through her skull. A blossoming numbness followed after and Hamuko could not recall her confusion as arms rose up to meet her. Dizziness snatched away coherency and she did not realize she passed out before the world went dark.

* * *

"...one reason I should not kill you."

"_Orpheus…?"_ She was mistaken. Orpheus did not have a mane of blue hair or pale skin. He was as contrasted as night and day and sounded sweeter than harmony. His voice brought tears – not anger.

_Is it worth the wait?_

"…taught her and…o…exerted herself."

"I…don't…ou."

"I'm not…ere…trouble."

_All this killing time?_

The world moved and Hamuko felt herself being shifted from one arms to another. Minato was just above her now. She was still too weak to fully open her eyes. Images were blurred out, but she did not miss the scornful look on Minato's face. Theodore had moved away from her sight and she could only hear his voice as he spoke to her classmate.

"What happened?" Minato questioned.

"_Yes, what?"_ She agreed as her mind went back to her date with Theodore. She accepted his request and they had indeed gone to the club, just like he wanted. He taught her something – a skill to improve her Social Links. Then after that there was…nothing. She could not remember what they had done afterwards. Had she fallen asleep?

_Are you strong enough to stand, protecting both your heart and mine?_

There was the sound of shoes clicking against the pavement. The noise only got quieter as Theodore moved away.

Minato's grip tightened.

_I'm so heavy._

"Nothing happened."

_So heavy in your arms._

* * *

Setton: By the way I heard about the purge. If this story ever gets taken off, I will find another site to post it up on. Hopefully that won't happen.


	11. Eternal Punishment

Setton: I'm back! Though I do not know for how long, lots of family issues to take care of and it seems to be getting worse. In any case, I am glad I actually took a break off typing. You would not believe what I wrote down for this before I edited it, and I mean _really_ edited it. Earlier on I had literally got Igor to spill the beans – so to speak – but ended up backpedaling. Not only is it too soon, but it ends up contradicting Theodore's actions and Hamuko's contract.

I also recently acquired P3P and played the game up to this point in story, doing what I would do without a walkthrough. Sad to say Akihiko was left out for quite a while seeing as I could not find him in the halls whenever I wanted to speak to him. Oops.

It is best to run a story through two or three different programs. My desktop Microsoft seems less attentive to my mistakes than my laptop.

* * *

Eternal Punishment

The cold hit her first, causing her skin to prickle and her shoulders to draw in. There were no sounds except for the passing drafts.

Hamuko opened her eyes to find herself in the Velvet Room, sitting in the familiar lyre shaped chair. The lights were sustained and she could no longer feel the force that acted upon her with every visit. The elevator was not moving, literally stuck in a standstill between two floors, and the clock hands were no longer moving.

Her eyes turned to the only occupant within the room. Igor did not smile upon her arrival. It was the first time she had ever seen him look so cross.

"Forgive me if I may seem rude," Igor said curtly. "You have done nothing to warrant my anger. In fact, I called you here because the fault lies on another."

"Theo," she replied on a hunch.

"Correct."

"What did he do exactly?"

"Theodore has jeopardized your safety by attempting to null the contract you have agreed upon the beginning of your journey. While not intentional, he will be punished for his actions."

"I don't get it," Hamuko spoke up, looking rather frazzled. "How, and what do you mean it was not intentional?"

Igor was silent for a moment as he regarded her. Then he turned to the table before him and gave a wave of his hand. The red book that Pharos had shown her appeared on the table, flipping open to the page she had written her name on.

"Perhaps it's best if we start from the beginning," Igor said as he took in the name. "We've had very little guests over the years. Since your arrival, things had become livelier. Your powers have grown even greater since you had last come here."

Hamuko watched as he made another motion with his hand. The page turned and she found herself staring at her name once more.

That was not right…

"What…?" She breathed, and stood up – tipping her chair and letting it hit floor with a clang. Just how was this possible? She had only written her name down once! So how was it that there were two similar signatures on two different pages?

Igor motioned for her to calm down. "Do not be alarmed. I can assure you that there is no foul play involved."

"Then how come there are two signatures?" she asked irritably. "I've only signed it once."

He nodded in agreement. "Indeed, you had," he said before he raised a bony finger, "in this timeline."

Hamuko was struck speechless. "You… You're saying I did this before?"

Igor nodded. "Yes."

"That," she said as she sank onto the floor in shock, "can't be possible."

"Anything is possible," Igor remarked and smiled. "I merely gave you my aid. It was you who did the rest. Now, you walk through that very door with a different purpose in mind. What troubles you the most is that you cannot remember what that purpose is. And that – is your consequence. You gave up your friends, your bonds, your memories, everything you had acquired within a single year."

Hamuko spoke up, "And what about Theo? Did he have anything to do with this?"

Igor gave a sigh and his eyelids drooped as he regarded the red book in contemplation. "It seems your impact on him was greater than I imagined. Theodore sought a second chance as well, but his efforts threaten to break the contract that you have agreed to sign. I ask you not to think ill of him; he only wishes to help in the only way he knew possible."

"Theo wanted to help…?" she questioned before it clicked, and her eyes widened. "He wanted to help me remember."

The long nosed man gave a nod.

"Then…Tartarus," she said, "What about Tartarus? What am I seeing there?"

"As you well know, Personas, Shadows, and Tartarus do not fall within the means of reality. They are not affected by time and will forever hold the past you left behind. Those memories you experienced are rightfully yours, and they will help guide you even in your darkest hour," Igor explained heartily. "For your safety, I cannot give you any more information than I already have. It is up to you now to choose which path you'll take. Remember, you are not alone. Do not simply reminisce my dear guest – relive."

* * *

**6/10/07**

She woke up the next day in a daze. Half of the time she believed what happened last night was a dream, but she could not ignore the clarity of her visit. What was she supposed to do now? What would cause her to redo her whole life? What was it that Theodore wanted her to remember that was so important?

Nothing made sense…

Today was Wednesday, and Hamuko arrived to class just in time for lectures. Yukari did not seem worried, indicating that the light-haired brunette heard nothing about Hamuko's prior unconsciousness. Minato may be a different matter. She was sure that he had engaged Theodore about her state before the Velvet Room denizen made his escape.

Despite the lasting fatigue, Hamuko stayed awake through Mr. Ono's lessons. She then decided to go burn off some steam by hanging out with Rio after school. Rio was…or has been intense for the past month since Hamuko met her. Despite being a freshman like Hamuko, Rio acted very much like Mitsuru – in a no nonsense sort of way. The girl seemed to have trouble in the love department, if Rio's breakdown a few days ago was any indication. At times Hamuko wondered why she got herself involved in the first place.

Hamuko smoothly returned the ball with a weakened backhand, watching as it skimmed the top of the net before dropping in Rio's court. The voted captain gave a grunt of dissatisfaction upon reaching the net, her racquet scraping the ground as she tried to return the ball.

Rio gave a slight curse before she brought her racket up to her eyes and checked it for scratches. "I don't know what's wrong with me lately," she muttered irritably before she turned and caught sight of someone entering the grounds.

Hamuko turned to look as well, spotting a group of females trailing awkwardly after a beautiful woman.

"Kanou-sensei…?" Rio muttered, sounding bitter.

Hamuko winced. "_You have it bad for Kenji, Rio,"_ she thought. It was no secret that the ramen-loving Kenji adored the older woman. Naturally that would mean competition between Rio and the Ms. Kanou.

After forcing Rio to apologize to the team for yelling at them, Ms. Kanou turned and left without so much of a goodbye, and Hamuko tended to wonder if the rest of Gekkoukan were idiots. For the past month it had only been her and Rio practicing. Ms. Kanou, who should have been their supervisor, had not even checked on the state of the club since day one. It was only through the complaints of the club members that the woman actually done something.

Hamuko thought about reporting this to Mitsuru. That would probably make Rio's day.

"It's tough being in love," Rio said after apologizing to everyone.

Everyone but Hamuko let out shocked gasps.

"In love!?" shrieked one of the members. "With who? Is it Minato-kun?"

"Huh…?" Rio stared before she squawked, "No! W-Why are you even asking me this?"

"We're curious!"

"Hamuko-chan, do you know?"

They were pestering her now, and Hamuko silenced her lips with a smile. It made her happy to know that some of the girls were not dedicated to make her life a living hell.

"Fine! I'll tell you!" Rio shouted in exasperation, quieting them all down. "I-It's…Kenji."

"WHAT!?" came Yuko's yell. The manager of the male Kendo team came sprinting down the court with furious speed.

"Yuko…?" Hamuko said in surprise. How in the world did she hear them from the building? "Aren't you supposed to be watching the guys practicing?"

"Forget the guys!" Yuko panted as she waved her arms wildly. "Did Rio just say what I think she said? Kenji…!? As in ramen-lover-and-hanging-out-with-Junpei Kenji?"

Hamuko frowned. "What's wrong with hanging out with Junpei?"

"He's a dork," said one of her teammates.

"At least he's a fun dork," Hamuko replied to the girl and they both shared a smile.

"How in the world did you end up liking him!?" Yuko shouted from her lungs as the rest of the girls let out girlish screams of disbelief. Hamuko could only wonder what the guys on the other courts were thinking – since they seemed to be so intent on prying.

"We should play matchmaker!" One of the girls, with bun-shaped hair, suggested. The rest quickly agree alongside her, even Yuko wanted to join in.

"What…? No! No one is playing matchmaker!" Rio shook her head indignantly. "He's my childhood friend! I don't want to hurt our relationship just by confessing to him and having him reject me."

"Aww," the girls crooned.

"Well it's your decision, so we'll respect that," Yuko replied with a small pout. Then an idea came to her. "OH! We should set up Hamuko!"

All the girls turned to the red-eyed girl in unison, and she laughed nervously.

…

…But it got her thinking.

* * *

It was the first time she had seen him since last night.

"He's not in there," Minato said as her hands reached for the door handle.

Hamuko paused and let her arms drop slowly. She had been curious as to whether Igor had followed through with his words. Sadly, Minato just confirmed it.

The two moved off to the side to avoid blocking the door, and Minato gave the store window a glance before he looked back at Hamuko.

"Elizabeth doesn't know how long her brother will be out of commission," he said to her, "but she told me to tell you that Margaret is holding your compendium. She'll be serving you for the time being."

"I see," Hamuko muttered, greatly disappointed. There was something about Margaret that made her feel unapproachable. While kind and mannered, the woman could become cold in a heartbeat. Elizabeth and Theodore…they were more playful all around.

Minato asked her, "What happened last night? He told me you fell asleep but I know that's not true."

"I don't remember."

"Hamuko," he began.

She glared at him. "Look!" She rudely jabbed a finger into his chest. "I'm telling you the truth. I have no idea what happened back there. Igor's cryptic answers don't help either. It's like a blank in my memory. All I know is that Theo was trying to make me remember something, and _bam_ I fell unconscious. The only thing I seem to recall is what he was trying to teach me, nothing afterwards. Are you going to ask me the same question every time we see each other?"

"Sorry," he apologized as he looked away. "I'm just edgy about all this Shadow business. It's been getting worse lately. I was worried. Even now we still don't know anything about the Velvet Room or those who originated there. They have no reason to help us and yet they do."

She wanted to hug him, she really did, but there were frankly too many students walking around.

"I know," she said and gave a tired sigh, "I _want_ to tell you, but I don't even know myself."

"Did Igor say anything?"

"Something along the lines of time travel or an alternate reality. Apparently I already went through all this before, but I have no idea what went down or how different it is compared to now."

"So hypothetically you went back in time to change things, and Theodore tried to help you but failed because it goes against the contract," Minato said as he summed it up. "I still don't like him."

She punched him lightly. "That's fine; I can work with passive aggressive." They both shared a smile.

* * *

**6/11/07**

"She recovered rather quickly," Hamuko muttered to Minato while the others made themselves comfortable.

"That's Kirijo for you," Minato answered back as Ikutsuki congratulated everyone for his or her endeavors. "She's kind of short isn't she…?" He received a nudge for his impolite comment. Fuuka did not seem to have heard them, looking rather interested in what Ikutsuki had to say about the three girls who were preyed upon by the Shadows.

"There have been no signs," Mitsuru informed them. "Other than the typical amnesia and fatigue, all of them are coherent and capable of attending classes. I'll be sure to monitor for any suspicious activity. One can never be too sure."

"What a relief," Fuuka said and gave a sigh.

Yukari let out a grunt of dissatisfaction once Mitsuru commented on Fuuka's abilities. "There she goes again," Yukari said in annoyance, which only seemed to churn when Akihiko sided with Mitsuru's logic. "Figures…"

"Now about those Shadows," Ikutsuki said, "Their appearances seem to coincide with the full moon. If that's true, then the next one should appear on the next full moon."

"So they're kinda like werewolves then, huh?" Junpei said slowly.

"Except you can't kill them with silver bullets," Minato remarked, earning a grin from Junpei. "Guess we'll have to watch the moon phase from now on."

Yukari looked uneasy. "I just wonder how many of them there are," she said.

* * *

**6/12/07**

"It's strange. The end doesn't seem so certain, considering the vast potential within you."

He was sitting there on her desk with his feet kicking up into the air. She on the other hand was beneath her half strewn covers, holding onto her icy Jack Frost Persona. Summer was close at hand, and she found herself struggling with the occasional heat that burned within her body. Jack Frost brought her some relief, chilling her feverish body with its own cool one.

"Hi-ho!" The Persona greeted merrily, waving its hand in the direction of Pharos.

The phantom gave a smile before he hopped off the desk and walked over to grasp the Persona's hand. "It seems you've been practicing," Pharos said as he gently shook the magician's hand.

Hamuko smiled tiredly. "I have to, can't depend on the Evoker all the time. It came to me earlier today, how dependent we all are on it. I wonder if I should create some sort of training regime for the others to use." Junpei had dropped his Evoker more than once during our trips to Tartarus, and it gets rather hectic to be switching between our weapons and Evokers.

Pharos hummed to himself as he took a seat at the foot of her bed, looking none too interested in her talk about the others. "Do you remember the day we've first met?" Pharos asked her.

She blinked at him, puzzled by the change in topic. "Faintly," she replied.

Her thoughts went back to the days in the orphanage. Back then she did not understand the difference between the Dark Hour and reality. Pharos only appeared to her during a selective number of days, pestering her with his questions despite the tragedy that plagued her. Her parents had died just days before and she was far from interested in playing with the other orphans. Hamuko did not remember how it all went down. Amnesia was a common occurrence at the end of each Dark Hour. She had not even remembered speaking with Pharos till the day she awakened Eurydice.

They had been friends for so long and she had not even realized it. It was rather unfair.

"I remember," Hamuko murmured as she thought about the night on the bridge. She remembered lots of fire and a dark billowing figure on the road. There had been gunfire, though she could not recall where it had come from. There was a pain in her head, darkness, and then she woke up later – crying. Pharos had appeared to her that night, smiling at her despite her loud blubbering.

She blinked and her eyes grew wet. "Thank you," she whispered.

Pharos looked dumbfounded. "What for?" he asked.

Hamuko hugged her Jack Frost a bit tighter, smiling slightly at the squeak it emitted. "Back on the bridge, you led me away from the car." He did not do it on purpose but she followed him anyway because she was scared of being left alone. By the next day the police had found her passed out on the bridge, and her parents' death was labeled as a car accident.

Despite his lack of experience with human emotions, she could not imagine a life without him.

He was her little phantom, her imaginary friend.

* * *

**6/13/07**

Fuuka moved in earlier than expected. In fact, her assigned room was still bare of anything except for basic furniture.

"She's really serious about this…" Yukari commented as she shot the teal-haired girl a glance. "You'd think she hated staying home."

Junpei complained, "Does it matter…? We got another Persona-user on the team, a girl at that! If she wants to stay here then let her."

"It still feels like we're pressuring her somehow."

"It's kind of too late for that though," Minato said as he reached over the table to break off a square of sweet rolls. It was one of those rare days where everyone was available for study group. And sure they still had a month left till the next exam but there was no telling what obstacles would come at them in the upcoming days. Their trips to Tartarus had to be considered, and the upcoming full moon was right around the corner. Not to mention that Junpei needed a lot of work in the math department.

Hamuko took a moment to register the amount of snacks left on the table. There were wrappers littered everywhere, along with a few empty cans of soda and soymilk. They had gone through half of their rations during their study time. Akihiko and Shinjiro had their own rations, considerably healthier than what the freshmen had. Whereas Shinjiro would whip up something with vegetables included, Akihiko would munch on a protein bar and drink vitamin water – which Hamuko made a face at.

"You keep going in circles," Shinjiro said as he set the papers down on the counter, looking very much frustrated with himself and the report in front of him.

Akihiko sent him a glare. "Like you're any better," the boxer shot back, "All you're talking about is the school community and not the connection between it and the general community."

Shinjiro brought his cup of coffee to his lips and mumbled, "The prompt is too broad."

The silver-haired boxer gave a sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. "You'd think that three pages would be simple but how are we supposed to write anything that includes class statistics? It's completely biased," he said, vexed. "Mitsuru made this look easy."

There were laughs all around.

"She makes everything look easy," Hamuko commented with a grin, and Shinjiro gave a snort. "Seeing you guys – it makes me glad I'm still a freshman," she said and turned back to Junpei when he let out a whoop.

"Alright, done!" he shouted as he threw his pencil down onto the desk. "Man that felt awesome!"

"You actually finished your math homework?" Yukari looked impressed. "Not bad Junpei."

"Hehehehe…" Junpei cackled. "It's all thanks to Hamuko."

Hamuko grinned as she closed her math book and reached over for her history notes. "Applying math to real life situations. My old teachers recommended me to try it since math books were too stuffy."

"I hear that," Junpei said with a grin. "So what are you up to now?"

"Well let's see…" Hamuko said as she flipped through her book. "Yukari is studying literature and Minato has his face in his integrative textbook. I'll probably follow Minato's example and brush up on the history of traditions." It was no secret that Mr. Edogawa had the longest lectures out of all teachers within the school community. His appearance may be sloppy, but he was damn intelligent and passionate about what he taught. Heck, there were times he would substitute for teachers and still sneak in another lecture or two about the occult and magic.

Junpei made a face, having gone through Mr. Edogawa's lectures himself. "Okay I'm out. Odin Cube is calling my name," he said as he reached out for another can of soda. Once he had made himself comfortable, he pulled out his new COMPstation and proceeded to play his game.

Yukari had to roll her eyes.

"What are you going over Minato? I'll quiz you," Hamuko said as she settled the book onto her lap.

"I'm going over Gilgamesh."

"Okay." She looked through the index before finding the page number. "What can you tell me about the text, not the story itself, but the history of it?"

"Gilgamesh began as an oral story and is older than the Old Testament. It first was sung as a song and the lyrics included a lot of repetition, which is why you can see many sentences repeated over again in the book," Minato explained as he diligently wrote annotations in his copy of the book. "Gilgamesh was constantly edited over the years; hence the popular idiom 'old wine in new bottles' is used."

"What is the main theme of Gilgamesh?"

Minato thought for a moment before he answered, "Fighting to overcome obstacles".

Akihiko commented, "Heh, sounds just like what we've been doing."

Minato looked over at him and said, "That's because it's a common and reoccurring theme. Ever heard of Carl Jung?"

The boxer looked up, confused. "No I haven't."

"He's a psychologist and psychiatrist who developed the concepts of archetypes or inborn behavior patterns. Through observation of various myths and traditions, he took notice of similar themes that appear all over the world," Minato explained before he paused in thought. "For example, what comes into mind when you think of the character Medea?"

"Scorned women," Hamuko answered for Akihiko. At the blank looks she was getting, she quickly explained, "The story of Medea is about how she was cheated on by her husband." She gave smile when a look of understanding crossed all of their faces.

"Man, I can't see how you guys can remember all this," Junpei groaned.

Hamuko laughed and retorted, "We don't memorize it just for the grades, Junpei. The stories are just interesting to read. It gets stuck in our heads like a really awesome videogame or a catchy song. Though, I never expected Minato to be such a myth-freak like I am."

Minato could not help but grin behind his can of Cielo Mist.

"You two should get a degree in teaching mythology or something. I'd bet the classes would be interesting," commented Yukari as she shot them both humored looks.

"I don't know," Hamuko murmured and looked down at her book, fingering the page's edge with her nails. "I'm still on the fence on what I want to study in. While getting a degree in teaching and mythology is nice, it doesn't offer much of a salary."

"Yet you're the daughter of a multibillionaire," Shinjiro replied before he added, "Who owns a shopping network."

She shuffled uneasily at their stares. "You say it like it matters," she retorted. "Just take away the 'adopted' and I would be just any kid off the street."

Shinjiro growled. "I didn't mean it like that," he said. "You could pick any job out there. Just don't pick the ones you hate because you feel like you have something to give back to." Hamuko gave a wince, and he continued, "That was your plan wasn't it? You were going to do something along the lines of providing for the company should you inherit it. Something Mitsuru would do."

"I wasn't just thinking about that," Hamuko said stiffly. "I thought of a lot of things, like becoming a model, owning a small business, or becoming a traveling saleswoman. I just can't wrap my head around what at the moment."

"Well we still got three years to think about it," Yukari advised. "How about you guys? What are your plans after college?"

"I'm on the fence," said Minato.

Junpei lazily raised his hand. "Same here."

Akihiko spoke, "I'll continue what I've been doing."

"I'll work to become a chef and open a business," Shinjiro answered.

"Does that mean we'll get to see you in a frilly apron?"

"What was that _Iori_?"

"Nothing."

"Huh…" Yukari hummed. "I don't know what Fuuka will be doing and we all know that Mitsuru-sempai will inherit the Kirijo Company. I think I'll probably go into nursing, but it looks like a lot of us are still undecided."

"We'll just have to wait and see what happens," said Hamuko.

* * *

"Interesting, I never thought of implementing this as a part of training. Très bien," Mitsuru commented before she gave a wince. "Though I could do without the headache."

"Oui," Akihiko remarked dryly as his gloved fingers reached up to massage his temples. "At least it isn't as bad as those girls who bother me at school."

They were at Tartarus again but with a different goal in mind. Hamuko had made good of her word and spoke to Minato earlier about training everyone to depend less on his or her Evokers. Now here they were at the entrance of Tartarus, trying their best to keep their Persona out for as long as they can. Shinjiro was the only one who flat out refused to do the training. He did not go into details why, and Hamuko had to let the matter drop.

"Remember to take breaks," Hamuko reminded them. "Don't try to hold your Persona out for as long as you can, you'll only end up with a massive headache that'll last tomorrow."

"Noted," Akihiko said before he turned to observe Polydeuces. "It feels…weird, you know? Usually we summon them a few seconds at a time in battle. But here…"

Hamuko laughed and said, "I know. They act human and that's because they're a part of us."

"Yeah but it's so unreal," Junpei replied in awe, and he reached up to make contact with his Persona. Hermes bent down to accommodate the height different between him and Junpei, the beak portion of Hermes' head bumped into his handler's palm. "He's huge!"

"No kidding," Yukari agreed before she took a look at her own Persona. Io's seat was large enough to hold two people, but Yukari could not find the courage in her to try riding the thing.

"This is incredible," Fuuka gasped as she circled Lucia's form, a little weary as her Persona's head turned to follow her form. "This would be the first time I've been able to see Lucia face to face. I hadn't realized she was this beautiful."

"Huh…?" Yukari turned to Fuuka in surprise. "What do you mean by that? I thought you would be able to see how your Persona looked like through her ability."

The teal-haired girl flushed and murmured lowly, "I – I can't actually."

Mitsuru walked up after dismissing Penthesilea. "Yamagishi's Persona is unable to support video feed, similar to Penthesilea's inability to support audio."

"Lucia sounds familiar," Minato said from on top of his Persona. Unicorn gave a snort, nickering in Junpei's direction as the cap-wearing freshman taunted it. "Careful Junpei, this Unicorn has a horn."

Junpei gave Minato a challenging grin. "Try it, Hermes and I will kick your – ow!" He fell to the floor face first as Hamuko's Bicorn rammed its curved horns into his rear end. Hermes had maneuvered himself aside, giving Junpei a single glance before falling stationary.

"Sorry!" Hamuko apologized despite the smile that was tugging on her lips. She looked towards Minato. "But yea, Lucia does sound familiar. I don't think she's a mythological figure though."

"Sounds historical," Minato suggested. "So Fuuka has a blind Persona, who is able to communicate with the party telepathically and at a farther range. It is as if Lucia is based off of a prophet of some sort."

"Which would explain her abilities," Mitsuru said with a nod.

Hamuko frowned as she felt herself teetering to the side. She never rode bareback before, and Bicorn's unruly nature made it rather difficult for her to stay on without a saddle. Disgruntled by Bicorn's interruptions, she squeezed its side with her thighs. In response, Bicorn neighed loudly and proceeded to move around in circles in an attempt to reach out and gnaw at Hamuko's shoes. Hamuko held onto the white mane tightly, startled by the movement. The last thing she wanted was to be bucked off the large horse – especially at this height.

Shinjiro gave a sigh before he stood up from his seat on the steps.

"Stop messing around," he said as he walked up to the Bicorn and placed a hand on the horse's nose, lightly scratching it before he removed his hand just as Bicorn attempted to nibble on his fingers. He went to the plump horse's side and reached up. "C'mon, jump down."

Hamuko looked down at him warily. It was a long drop down, seeing as Bicorn's back was at the same height as Shinjiro's head. After much cajoling, Hamuko carefully maneuvered her legs to one side of the horse before reaching down for Shinjiro's shoulders and sliding off the ebony Persona's back. She had never been aware how strong he was until now. He caught her before she hit the ground and left her suspended in the air for a moment before he set her down. She did not get a moment to settle herself before the Bicorn whipped around and nudged her out of the way.

Hamuko laughed as Shinjiro grudgingly scratched the horse's muzzle. "You must be good with horses," she commented with a smile before she took a look at her Persona, "or maybe it's just this one."

The red-eyed mare snickered.

* * *

**6/14/07**

She must have looked strange with her face pressed up against the glass of the antique store.

"Hamuko-sama?"

The ruby-eyed girl gave a yelp and whipped to find an amused Elizabeth behind her. "E-E-Elizabeth you scared me!"

"Forgive me, I did not mean to frighten you," apologized the pale skinned attendant, but she looked anything but sorry. "Regarding your actions, I would assume you're not here to speak to my dear sister." She gave the store a glance before she turned her attention back to Hamuko before her. "You were hoping to find Theo today."

Hamuko's cheeks burned pink and she fiddled with her hairpins. "I… I just wanted to make sure he was okay you know? I haven't heard from him in a while, and I was too scared to ask Igor when Theo will be back," she said.

Elizabeth chuckled mirthfully. "Do not worry; he is brought to no harm. His punishment is more childish than painful."

"Oh…?" Hamuko probed for answers. "What is it actually? Igor never mentioned anything."

The attendant mused for a moment before she answered, "He is in solitary confinement." At the confused look on Hamuko's face, Elizabeth explained, "Sometimes the worst punishment is being alone with one's own thoughts. Theo will undergo contemplation – such is my master's wish."

Even though she was reassured that Theodore would be safe, Hamuko could not help but feel ashamed.

"It's not your fault," Elizabeth professed. "Even without your initial desire to find the truth, my brother would no doubt attempt something similar. He is desperate," she said gloomily.

"Why?" Hamuko blurted out her confusion. "What makes me so important that he would warrant punishment?"

Elizabeth gave a dreary sigh and said, "Forgive me Hamuko-sama, but I cannot say anything more. You will have to figure this out on your own."

"Let me guess, the contract," Hamuko muttered irritably, to which Elizabeth nodded.

"There are lines that we cannot cross," the attendant responded, "and there are those that lay beneath our feet. If we aren't too careful, everything you had done will all be for naught."

Hamuko uttered, "If only I can remember what it is I did."

"I'm sure you'll figure it out," Elizabeth said with a bright smile, doing her best to make light of the situation. "Is there anything else I can help you with while you're here?"

Hamuko opened her mouth to say no but abruptly closed it when something came into mind. "Actually, I was wondering if you could get me my Demonic Compendium."

Elizabeth frowned and remarked, "You will have to see my sister Margaret for that."

The red-eyed girl shook her head. "No," she voiced, "not the one that Margaret has. I want to see my compendium, the _previous_ one. And don't you tell me it no longer exists. If I know Theo, he would be the one keeping it safe."

The cat-eyed woman looked pensive before she requested, "Wait here, I'll only be a moment."

Hamuko nodded before Elizabeth quickly strode in the direction of the Velvet Room. Five minutes passed by and Hamuko wondered if the woman had gotten into any trouble. Just as Hamuko was about to give up and drop her request, the Velvet Room denizen came back quickly with a large tome in hand.

"Did something happen?" Hamuko asked as Elizabeth handed her the tome. "You took a while."

"I apologize," said Elizabeth, "I had to be sure my master was not within the room. As far as anyone knows, Theo is the only one who maintains your compendium. He would be quick to understand should anyone ask him. It is what he would have wanted."

Hamuko held the tome to her chest hesitantly. "Will this get you two in even more trouble?" she asked, ready to hand the book back should the woman say yes.

Elizabeth's eyes glinted mischievously. "No, but we're no strangers to reprimands. Do not fret Hamuko-sama. Everything will be fine."

* * *

**6/16/07**

To others it may have looked like they were studying.

"Here's what we have generally," said Minato as he held up a notepad. "Shadows and Personas are connected to human minds. Shadows feed on them while Personas are made from them. This means they're related to one another. It's possible that they may have come from the same point of origin, Tartarus and the Dark Hour."

"Tartarus came first, then the Dark Hour," Hamuko piped up. "The Dark Hour is just a stage in time. We cannot manipulate it. Tartarus on the other hand is a physical place, an entity that we can touch."

"Right." Minato nodded in agreement before he flipped a page. "From our experience, we can conclude that Tartarus houses remnants of human influences and memories – molded by Shadows who have consumed human minds. They're like ants."

"But where do Personas come in?" Hamuko questioned. "They don't feed on our minds but are in fact a part of us. They wouldn't have come from Tartarus."

Minato remained silent for a moment before he looked up and asked, "You don't think they're actually Shadows right? I don't mean just any Shadow, but tamed ones. It would explain what you saw at Tartarus. What if Personas are able to remember everything we do?"

Hamuko sighed and leaned back into the comfort of the couch. "That sounds plausible," she said. "It would explain how my memories got there in the first place."

Minato scribbled down their conversation and uttered, "So we're going with Personas are tamed Shadows. …Wait, that would mean Shadows are a part of us." He blinked in confusion before grimacing. "I think I just gave myself a headache."

"Let's just put those off to the side," Hamuko said. "Personas equal Shadows, Persona and Shadows equal the human psyche."

"From the looks of it, Tartarus is starting to resemble a consensus of human minds," Minato muttered dryly before he proceeded to twirl his pencil across his fingers. "Let's move on to what you saw at Tartarus."

"It's not much," Hamuko stated. "Most of the landmarks are just places I've been to as a kid, before my parents died. The only thing that strikes me as odd was the one where the Reaper chased me. I entered the second tower and was dolled up for a festival of sort. It was rather chilly, like autumn, and I saw Shinjiro-sempai first. He was really sick and was even wearing the coat I never gave back to him. I then went up to the shrine to see if I could find anyone else, and everyone was in kimono except for the guys. Fuuka was there too, along with this blond-haired girl who I don't know. I asked Junpei and Kenji about you too and they act as if you didn't exist."

"Maybe I didn't exist," he said as he looked up at her, "before I mean."

Hamuko was not sure what to make of that, and she solemnly stared down at the notes laid out across her lap. "I did something important back then, with S.E.E.S, something bad must have happened if I ended up doing this all over again."

"Did your compendium tell you anything?" he asked and they both shot the large tome a look.

Hamuko went silent for a moment before she slowly placed her things onto the table. She reached over to pick up the tome and settled herself back onto the couch, opening it up to a random page.

Thanatos stared back up at her.

"_Back then, I could use him,"_ she thought, "_but now I can't. It's as if he has a mind of his own."_

Minato must be in the same predicament because she had never seen him call out Thanatos once.

She flipped through the pages and muttered, "It's strange. So many Personas yet all of them are more powerful than the ones I control. Does this mean things will get difficult from now on?"

"Can you use any of them?" he asked.

Hamuko shook her head. "I don't know," she replied. "Their cost is high and the lower end ones just have mismatch skills. It's as if they were used for inherits and nothing more. I would like to use this compendium but..."

"It may go against the contract," Minato said with a nod. "This compendium is connected to the Velvet Room, so the information the Personas hold may be off limits to you. The only thing we can count on now is Tartarus. There is no jurisdiction there."

She shut the book with a frown. This was going to be harder than she thought.

* * *

**6/18/07**

Hamuko realized she could never go a day without something bad happening.

The information was disconcerting.

Margaret had called to deliver the bad news. The Shadows were getting bolder, stronger, and the number of potential victims began to rise. Humans were finding it difficult to ignore the Shadows' calls now. Already there was a victim, trapped within the confines of Tartarus, unresponsive and unable to get out. Hamuko's first reaction was to inform Mitsuru, only to realize that the student council president would become suspicious about the information.

Minato received the same call from Elizabeth, and they both agreed a trip to Tartarus was in order. There was no planning, no real reason for them to be on the lower floors, but they lied to the others that it would be good practice.

Mitsuru had been more than alarmed when they had stumbled upon a man's unconscious body in one of the rooms. Fortunately he was still alive, but it was a moment of clarity in which everyone began to realize that they had no power over the Shadows' call. Persona-users would be safe but not ordinary humans.

Hamuko held her worn compendium for the third time today, and she wondered if it would be worth it.

* * *

**6/19/07**

_Beep!_

Hamuko blinked in confusion before she excused herself from Rio and Yuko's conversation and proceeded to check her phone. Surprisingly enough it was from Akihiko, and she proceeded to shield the screen from Yuko's ever curious gaze.

"_Hey, are you free?"_ he asked.

"_Sempai? How did you get my number?"_

"_I asked Takeba, hope you don't mind. Mitsuru doesn't have the time to be looking for you all when things come up, figured this would be easier since you all hang out together._ _Arisato is not answering his phone and neither is Iori."_

"_They're probably passed out on their desks right now. Why, is there something you need?"_ she typed back.

"_The chairman is planning to visit us all tomorrow. He said he had vital information concerning the large Shadows we have been dealing with."_

She frowned. "_Information…? Where is he getting this exactly? He hasn't done any field operations like we had. How does he know more than we do?"_

There seemed to be a minute pause before Akihiko replied, "_I'm wondering too. If anything it should be Mitsuru telling us. Shinji's suspicious about all this and I don't know what to think. But as long as it helps us end the Dark Hour for good – it shouldn't matter right?_

She wanted to think that. She really did.

"_I hope so,"_ she replied. _"I'll talk to you later sempai."_

"_Later."_

Hamuko flipped her phone shut just in time for Yuko to nudge her gently.

"Hey, guess who's looking for you?" the kendo manager teased.

At the sound of squealing girls, Hamuko did not even have to look to know that Ryoji was standing at her homeroom door. He did not seem interested in the girls who were trying to strike a conversation with him, and proceeded to look over their heads to locate Hamuko. When he caught sight of her, he let out a bright smile before politely shoving his way into the classroom so that he may approach her.

"Hamuko-chan!" he greeted her as he readjusted his scarf so he could be heard clearly. "Are you free today?"

"_This is starting to sound familiar,"_ she thought humorously, remembering all the times she was stopped within the halls for a chat.

"I am now, did you need something?" she asked.

Ryoji looked as if he had won the jackpot. "Yeah, actually, I was wondering if you'd like to go on a date with me later today," he said with a smile, pink dusted his cheeks.

"I-"

"She would love to!" Yuko yelled before Hamuko could even agree. "In fact she's ready right now!"

Rio sighed and muttered, "She hasn't even agreed yet, don't decide for her."

"Great! Let's go." Ryoji cheered as he headed towards the exit, and Rio promptly face palmed.

Hamuko could not help but laugh before she got up and packed up her books. "It's fine Rio, I don't have anything to do right now."

"If you say so…" Rio trailed off before wishing her luck. "Don't do anything I wouldn't."

"Obviously you don't know me well," Hamuko said with a playful wink before she laughed her way out the door, Rio sighing all the while.

* * *

"It feels nice doesn't it?" Ryoji commented as he stretched his back. "No rumors, no glares, just the two of us having a fun time."

Hamuko could not help but smile, and she looked away from the view before her. "Is that the only reason you invited me out? Just to get away from the girls?" she joked.

He gave a dramatic gasp. "Never! I always make time for you of course," he said before grinning, "but in all seriousness, I do make time for you. You're not like the other girls." He blinked thoughtfully. "In fact," he murmured, "I'd say you're…refreshing. I-In a good way of course!" He backpedaled upon her stare.

She dropped her look with a laugh. "Calm down Ryoji," she said. "You didn't offend me or anything. It's just I don't get those kind of compliments everyday."

"Well you should," he blurted before turning red. "I-I mean, well, you don't get enough is what I'm trying to say."

"I get the point," Hamuko said with a chuckle. "So tell me, where do you plan on taking me for our first 'date'?" She quoted with her fingers.

He scratched his cheek and bashfully looked away. "I was actually wondering if you'd like to visit the Sweet Shop. I…I hope I'm not over generalizing anything. The other girls didn't like it when I brought them there, and I thought you'd be different. You seem like the type to like sweets."

"I do!" Hamuko chirped as she clapped her hands together happily. "I never got to check it out since I moved here. I wonder if they have my favorite mousse shortcake there."

Ryoji brightened up. "They should, they have literally everything there," he said as the monorail began to slow to a stop. At the sign of this, he reached over and took a hold of her hand. "So we don't get separated," he explained with a grin as passengers proceeded to pack near the doors.

Hamuko felt her face warm up and she beamed as he pulled her passed the doors, and they both dashed down the stairs and onto the sidewalk like giggling children. It felt overall _perfect_. Something about it all, hanging out with Ryoji and just going places in general seemed much more fun than usual. She never felt this way with the others. Not with Minato, Junpei, or even Yukari. Something about Ryoji just clicked.

It was as if they were one and the same.

They rushed into the shop laughing, taking a moment to lean against the walls to catch their breaths. They were expelling exhaustion but that could not stop the joy from skittering from their chests. The owner of the store shot them both strange looks but said nothing as the two of them proceeded to explore the store filled with stickers, dolls, bags, souvenirs, pastries, desserts, and candies of all kinds.

The whole shop was lit in color and Hamuko proceeded to pull Ryoji along with her through the store. He followed willingly and helped her pick out a few treats to try.

Manju, mochi, umai-do, imogashi, crepes, chi chi dango, moist airy shortcakes, some downed with a side of ocha or oolang tea. They were sure to try most of them, taking only small bites to keep their stomachs empty and their teeth in their mouths.

Satisfied with their purchases, Ryoji pulled her by the hand towards the seats near the store windows. It was a small section of the store that allowed customers to sit down and enjoy their treats without having to go outside. Once settled, they ruffled through their frilly pink paper bags to see what was left from their excursions.

Hamuko pulled out her half-finished mousse cake and a small fork before letting out a squeal when Ryoji stole the dessert from her. "Ryoji! That's mine!" She laughed as she reached over his lap to grab the cake he had just out of reach. He only smiled before stretching his arm out further when she resorted to leaning out her chair, her fingers brushing against the frosting – which she smeared over his face a second later.

He got her back by smearing some of it on her own face, and she batted his hands away with squeals of surprise.

"Karma," he said simply, his blue eyes shinning.

She grinned before grabbing his bag. "Ha!" she said haughtily as she dodged his hand and hugged both bags to her chest. "All your desserts belong to me."

"I guess you're right," he said before he placed the cake down on the table and slid it over to her. "I don't mind if you keep them actually. I'm just happy that I was able to have you to myself for today. We never get the chance to hang out together, just the two of us."

"Careful Ryoji, it's starting to sound like a confession," she teased as she proceeded to clean off the chocolate from her face. Ryoji did the same.

He sat back. "What if it is?" he asked hopefully as he dropped the napkin. "I know we weren't friends for long but it feels as if I knew you since forever. Would you… Would you consider it despite all dates I've been with? I know that fact doesn't win me any points, but I'd like to know you a bit more if that's okay with you."

Hamuko recoiled, speechless. She had only been joking about the confession earlier, but Ryoji was seriously considering it? He wanted to date _her?_ The same girl who transferred to Gekkoukan and was rumored to be the biggest whore on the island?

She wanted to say no. To avoid the situation altogether and run out the door, but she could not do it. Not when Ryoji looked back at her with those adoring eyes and buoyant expression. This was a little too fast for her, especially when dating was the last thing on her mind. She felt ashamed. She had not really believed it when he asked her out. She thought this would just be a friendly outing, nothing serious.

She was such an _idiot_.

The door to the sweet shop chimed as someone stepped in, and out of instinct she turned.

Her eyes met Minato's and her whole body went cold.

* * *

Setton: Minato always has the worst timing.

A little side note, during the Tartarus training, Minato and Hamuko were riding Unicorn and Bicorn respectively. Unicorn is represented as a white horse with a single horn, symbolizing purity and rebirth. In some text, the Unicorn was born from a Bicorn, and it used to have two horns. The Megami Tensei Wikia says that one horn represented the purity of man while two horns represents the seduction brought by the arrival of women. Similarly, text written by men, spoke of the sins of women (Ex. Lilith, her children, and Eve), which could relate to what the Bicorn stands for (adultery, mainly by women). The Bicorn takes on different forms, like a panther with a human face. In the Shin Megami Tensei series it takes the form of a two-horned horse (possibly to create a relation to the Unicorn). Bicorns are said to devour "kind-hearted and devoted husbands, and is thus plump and well fed". …Yes I am talking to you Shinjiro.

Ryoji's proposal is also based on a real life situation that I had experienced, twice. Can be scary when guys just drop it all on you without warning. A little hint here and there would be nice.

There will be more Tartarus scenes involving her past self since she will actively be searching for them from now on.

Do not worry, Akihiko will have his spotlight soon enough.


End file.
